Category Archives: the farm
we have big bugs out here in the country.
big grasshoppers, big locusts, wasps, bees and dragonflies too.
ok….this summer has been completely busy. i have been working on the Craft Weekend Post but i am so tired and when i sit down to work i fall asleep….seriously! this week Sean & Talby are gone at church camp together and Scott is at basketball camp. today i have to drive and pick up scott and his friend…they are at KU! last night craig, annie and i fed the chickens and looked for frogs until it got dark.
Would totally love to win this! Thanks so much for the chance to win. I’d LOVE to win a custom blog design! Wow what an awesome giveawy! Winning would be like a trip to the candy story with not limitations! I love Danielle’s blog & her creativity! Count me in!! i need you. i am starting from scratch. nothing!!! you can help me, right? I need you! My current banner is jpg made in PowerPoint 🙁 this would pretty much be a dream come true to win this! thank you!! Love your work and blog, Danielle!! Would love a little blog spruce up…maybe it will inspire me to post more! HA!! Would be great to win this! Wow! What an amazing giveaway!!! WOULD LOVE TO WIN!!! My blog could use a boost! Oh man, does my blog need a makeover! I had stopped blogging because I got so frustrated with the design trouble I was having and couldn’t decide how to proceed. This would help solve that problem! 🙂 So glad you guys are loving the country life. I love seeing all the pictures of your fam & your new adventure. Gorgeous work! I just found some new blogs to stalk! Oh how I would love to win this! My blog is pretty pitiful in the design department! Thanks for sharing with us! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Danielle. I can’t get enough of her blog because a) that girl is freakin’ hilarious and b) she offers so much wisdom. what an awesome giveaway!! thanks! and these chicken photos are great! I would Love this prize – how nice! Thanks! very cool – thanks! Oh, my gosh! I would be elated to win this blog makeover. I have my fingers crossed! 🙂 Big Texas “HOWDY” to you both… How awesome! My blog so needs a makeover love your designs…..so cute. I definitely have no clue how to design in the computer world!!! My blog really needs a makeover…this would be so awesome! Pick me, pick me! =D My blog could use some love! My family blog needs some lovin! pick me! I could SO use this! Love her designs! Wow. That’s an amazing giveaway. I have been admiring her work for so long (and I’m not just saying that). So awesome! Sounds like a great opportunity to finally start blogging… how awesome!! thanks for the chance! I need a blog makeover in a BAD WAY! Love Danielle’s designs! super cute! I love your country family photos. I just started a blog and would love some of your creative help. I could def use this prize! Wow, I am just setting up a blog and this would be spectacular! I would love to win this. I just started a new blog and can’t figure out how to get that polished look. Thanks. Those teeth of Annie’s kill me! Such a sweet smile. My blog is in rad need… This would solve a lot of my creative issues! I would love a custom blog! I LOVE reading about your family! You are SO lucky to be a stay-at-home-busy-as-ever MOM! I am blessed in that when I am here at work I can read lots of cute/fun blogs like yours! Life could be worse and I could work for one of those places who won’t let you surf the internet! I don’t think Annie could get much cuter!! Simply adorable. My oldest two are at camp this week. The younger two and I have been enjoying the quiet and at the same time trying not to let it drive us nuts! So awesome! I just started over with a new blog and need to fancy it up! Okay, so maybe I noticed too….I only scrolled back up to it once though….because it sort of surprised me! I love Annie’s big girl teeth shoving everyone else out of the way for their big entrance! Also could use help shining up my blog…. 😉 i would LOVE help redoing my blog 🙂 Oh Meg, I’m loving Annie’s big teeth coming through! We’ve just lost our two front TEEF, such a sweet age 🙂 Great giveaway too – could totally do with an overhaul 🙂 Happy Weekend, hope you get to sleep in! xx I am so ready for a fancy blog makeover!! Cute blog designs. Great giveaway! What a fantastic prize! I would love this for my blog 🙂 I’m ready for a blog makeover! I just haven’t had the time to do it myself. Plus, I’d love some fresh ideas. 🙂 sounds wonderful!!!!!love it! My days have been unreal busy this summer. I keep thinking we will get some downtime but I see none in our near future. Annie’s smiles made me smile 🙂 thanks! I am in DESPERATE need of a blog makeover 🙂 great giveaway. what idyllic life…feeding chickens and frogs until dusk. so fun. I’d love to win! cool~ I am so glad SOMEBODY noticed!!! 🙂 My blog could use a makeover!__ woo hoo! I’d love a chance at this! Meg, your husband doesn’t look hot at all holding that chicken. Nope. Not one little bit. Wow I need this! Thanks for the giveaway. what cute chickens!! Looks like sooo much fun. Does the chicken coop run have wire on the top to?? I was curious where lauren is too? Is she anti blog popularity? Haha….sleeping in….hahaha. 🙂 I love Danielle’s designs! This is a fabulous give away! 🙂 So fun! Our family blog could seriously use an update (now that we’ve added a new family member 7 months ago and he’s still not represented!) awesome! My lil ole blog could use a face lift!:) so pretty!! I’d love this! Super fun!! Thanks for the opportunity! I think that picture with (Annie and her missing tooth)and the chicken deserves a canvas. I love it! I would also love a fresh take on my blog! 🙂 I’ve been thinking of getting back into blogging so this would be perfect. Sweet! Cute stuff…it would be so fun to spruce my blog up. Would love to have a change, so entering! I love Danielle and I would LOVE some help with my blog 😀 That would make my day! Have been going back and forth trying to figure out what to do with my blog. Thanks! oh man alive…i would LOVE to win this! I am so computer illiterate and have no idea how to make my blog pretty! I’d love a makeover! Thanks gals! Ohhh I’d love that! LOVE!! Perhaps this is the kickstart I could use to actually start blogging 😉 Love the chicken photos! The boys are always so jealous when they see them. I would love to win this! Just getting ready to start a new blog! The designs are awesome!! This would be amazing! Would love a makeover!!! My older son went away to camp this week so we only had my littlest at home and I agree, it’s weird having only one but we’re enjoying the change for now 🙂 Thanks, y’all! I would love it if you would bling my blog! I’d love a new blog design! Mine is just the same old blogger template. :S My summer is a little lazier, but I don’t have any kids! Oh, how sweet! Pick me. Your hubby and daughter look sweet together, little one on one, just in time for Father’s Day. Thanks for squeeeeeezing in the sweet giveaway. This would be wonderful. I have been wanting to start a blog but I want it to be cute and do not know where to start. Thanks for the chance to win. Love your designs! oh! I would absolutely love this. I am an aspiring photography and am longing for a “pretty” blog. Oh boy I would love to win a blog makeover! My blog is definitely in need of an upgrade but I have no idea how to do it myself. Wow! I have wanted to blog for so long, but wanted to have it look cute before I rolled it out!!!!!!!! This would be my motivation to do such!!!!!!!!!! YES! Puh-puh-puh-pllllleeeeeeaaasssseee! Man, does my blog need this! Wow this is awesome! Would love to win. Maybe it would get me excited about blogging! Thanks girls. My blog needs this, really, really needs this. Have fun in Lawrence — one of my favorite places! And I would love some blog design goodness from Danielle! Thanks 🙂 Wow…cool website! I am due for a makeover! Love her designs! What amazing work she does! Heading over to her website right now to check it out. Your work is beautiful! Would absolutely be thrilled to have a blog makeover by you, Danielle! 🙂 I’d love to win this for my sisters sweet blog. Thanks for having a give-away! Love the designs and would love a new look! I would absolutely LOVE a new, custom blog design!!! 🙂 I would LOVE to win a custom blog design!!! Thank you for the opportunity 🙂 Hi Meg- Not to question your math but you said you were down to one kid but what about Lauren? Where is she? I hope you get to sleep in one of these days! Oh. My. Head. I totally need this blog design giveaway! My blog is in desperate need of a makeover!!! I would love some designer help…I love work. How perfect it we were to be paired together:) Oh sweet. I’d love someone to design away oh man! yes!! I want to win this! Amazing give away! Would love to revamp my poor little blog! Sweet! So fun and cute… I, too, would love the chance to win this! Our site needs some sprucing up! With bringing home 2 kiddos from China soon we definitely could use an update! Very cute designs! She is talented! Would love to win! Thanks for the giveaway! Love her designs. Pick me! Would love to win this – thanks for the chance! I would LOVE to win this!!!! I would absolutely love a new blog design!! Thanks so much for the chance to win such an awesome prize! I chose the template that best fit my purpose but a custom design would be amazing! Cool giveaway. Thanks to the both of you! How fun! And I would love to win this giveaway! I could REALLY use help with my blog design, etc. It seems so BLAH right now. I could REALLY use help with my blog design, etc. It seems so BLAH right now. Wow! So sweet and wonderful of you! Could totally use a new blog design! 🙂 would LOVE to win the blog redesign! thank you for your great giveaways! Sa-weet! Danielle has some great designs. Would love a blog makeover. Wow, I would LOVE a blog redesign, I’ve been frustrated with mine for a while! Thanks for an awesome giveaway chance! what a wonderful giveaway. it has my name all over it. i recently started a blog and i am clueless on where to start and what to do next. i/it could seriously use a make-over! 🙂 I would love to have a custom blog!! Woohoo!! Umm..have I missed something? I feel like we don’t hear anything about Lauren…hope all is well and that she is being a teenage girl = prefers to be with friends. 🙂 I would lurve a new blog design. Thanks for the opportunity! I think a new blog design is just what I need and maybe could jumpstart a new business for me! I hope I win this giveaway!! In the mean time I will go check out Danielle’s blog to see if she can help me with announcements for my new baby!! Awesome giveaway!! I am contemplating starting a blog, so this would be so great to win – thanks for the opportunity!! I love reading Danielle’s blog! She also is a great designer and I would love a blog maker-over! this is a wonderful giveaway. i’m a new blogger, but i’d love a design. everyone one of your designs is adorable. Oh, your designs are super cute, Danielle! And my summer has been crazy busy so far too! I’m already exhausted and it’s only June. so fun to soak up time with just one. especially when life is so busy! A custom blog design? Yes please! Danielle is awesome! I’d love to get a re-design. 🙂 I would love to win this! Thanks for the chance. I need a fresh blog start!!! Amazing, Meg. Thank you so much for this chance! Oh, I’d love to win this! Thanks for hosting! I love Danielle’s designs, they’re all so cute! oh goodness, I have wanted a new design for awhile now! I would LOVE to win, your work look fabulous! Beautiful blog designs! Would be proud to have my blog designed by Danielle! Would love to win this, maybe it would inspire me to get back to blogging. 🙂 Oh my goodness, I would love to win this! I paid for a blog design once and it was a horrible experience – she took months and months to complete it, and in the end she still left some things unfinished. She apologized at the end and offered to give me a discount on anything in the future….but unfortunately I never want to work with her again! Your work looks amazing and I would love to have a second chance at working with a designer! 🙂 i would love a new blog design but i blog with blogspot and not blogger 🙁 o my! this would be perfect – i’ve been wanting to blog for a long time. thanks for the opportunity! Wow!!!! Oh how I NEED this giveaway 🙂 Thanks for the chance! I am such an amateur blogger! Would LOVE this blog giveaway! I would love a makeover for my blog! I’m really curious…has Lauren asked to not be on your blog? Having raised a teen girl, this is my assumption, but still curious. We loved seeing & hearing about her, too. oh fun! i would love a new bloggy look:) What a fun giveaway, I could use a new blog design. Congratulations to whoever wins! Love Danielle! Thanks for the giveaway! Love Annie’s joyful face in these pics. So stinkin’ cute! I’m assuming you don’t talk about Lauren more because she’s older and doesn’t want to be a part of the blog??? one of my besties designs blogs too & gave me a makeover not that long ago but if i were to win i’d love to share your talents with a friend!! THANKS for the chance! This is a wonderful giveaway, and her work is really cool. I’d love to win. Awesome! What a surprise – Love Danielle, great giveaway. that is one chicken carrying HAPPY face – so cool! what a fun giveaway – who couldn’t use a little blog fluffing?! and take heart sure seems to have a gorgeous eye! What a FANTASTIC giveaway! Thank you so much for the chance! I would LOVE a blog makeover!!!! 😀 This is the perfect giveaway!! OH My, the designs are so beautiful….that is exactly what I am missing from my blog. Thanks for the opportunity. I am kind of obsessed with your farm life pictures. Swoooooning. This is an awesome give away! Thanks for the opportunity to enter. Would love a new design!! Your work is great! Very cute stuff. I could use help with the cute on my new blog! What an AMAZING giveaway!!!! I would LOVE to win! Wow! Love Danielle’s designs! Would love something custom for my blog! Thank you for this opportunity! Love those cute headers, and I would love one for myself 🙂 I would love this, maybe give me a jump start to really blog regularly! I would love to win this for my mom – she loves blogging and would LOVE THIS. I would love to win this! Looks like so much fun, and my blog could use a new, custom design!!!! Fun!!! and Great designs!!! I just started my blog so a cute design would be awesome!!! Thanks for the chance to win one!! OH this would be perfect for me! I’m wanting to relaunch my blog but don’t have a large budget 🙂 I so need to win this!! My blog is pretty, but it is a pre-designed layout and I am looking for something more original and FUN!! 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win, Meg! I’d love a pretty new blog! What an awesome giveaway! My blog could definitely use a facelift! Thanks for your generosity! Would love to spruce up my blog…fun giveaway! I’m starting a business with a friend and this giveaway would be awesome! Thanks for the chance. love your giveaways! thanks. Oh goodness I would love this! What a fun giveaway! Wow! what a great giveaway… I’d love a new blog design! Please oh Please. I would love something a little more custom! Oh – I’d love a blog refresh! I would love a blog makeover! 🙂 Very cute blog designs! Thanks for the chance to win 🙂 Looks like cute ideas for a blog design! I’m always itching to change things up on my blog. It sounds like a fun, busy summer! danielle’s work is sooo good! i’d love to win this for my dearest friend who can’t afford danielle’s services!! I would love to win this!!! Oooooooooh, I would LOVE this. I’ve never fully gotten off the ground with my blog because I get so muddled up in the formatting that I give up and don’t post. Any idea why I cant comment unless I sign in to either Twitter, Typepad, or Facebook(I dont have) here? Its been this way for the last week or two. Grrr I need help with a new design! This would be great – thanks for being Meg’s friend!!! Would love to win a new blog design! Thanks for the discount as well! Now have to decide if I want to start a new family/personal blog or use it with photography..Oy to many choices!
the farmers all around us were cutting wheat on wednesday.
it was a BIG storm. we made it home safely and a few hours later my sister and nieces came for a visit. the storm knocked out the power so the morning was lovely and quiet.
my sister saw a turtle just outside our door!
he went in the glitter from the art work…. ha!
no one would pick it up…..
so i had to lead by example.
the nicest dog (when he isn't stealing our potato chips)
we found this GIANT striped feather.
after the snake left we saw all these frog eggs?!! awesome!
until we weren't. HA.
after annie got a bath…. we went over to the arboretum. talby had a softball game at 6:00 and she did great! she was first base several innings. i loved seeing that! we came home and set up the tent and made a fire!
sean was the only "MAN" to help us because scott and craig were gone. we roasted weenies for dinner….in our jammies.
hot dogs, carrots, cucumbers with ranch, chips and s'mores…..YUM. we set up the movie and the girls watched RIO from the tent up on the barn. fabulous awesome day. and now we are being treated to "restaurant" from the little girls.
I am coming to join your family. What an amazing day! Note to self, rent a house in the country in a small Midwestern town. You will have the most amazing adventures! Just down right awesome! Good memories being made. just a few things: Have a collection of the same feathers…..we have nesting barred owls. Yup, thats what they are!!! Sounds like a GREAT day! looks like it was a little cool with all the hoodies everyone had on. Nice! I love roasting weinnies. So fun and summery. Your summer is already really fun. Love that Lauren was exploring with you guys. I know those times are fewer and farther between. Why do our kids have to grow up?! Happy summertime Meg! looks like a turkey feather! good thing it isn’t november 🙂 also, i love that turtle. he is so fancy with his glitter. fancy fancy turtle! Awesome day for sure!!! I love kansas! I’ve been following your amazing blog for a while but have never commented, I’m commenting shy. I really enjoy your enthusiasm and how much you enjoy your kids. 🙂 YaY!! to Sean getting to be the man of the house and working it out for you damsels in distress. I love this! and I love you all very very much! Thanks for treating us to a wonderful restorative visit. I am just so happy right now. 🙂 Looks like it was, most definitely, an AWESOME day! (Other than Annie falling in the pond, poor girl!) You are a much braver Mama than I, getting friendly with that frog… yikes! Hope you and the fam have a great weekend! 🙂 cracks me up that you snapped a picture of Annie after she fell in! It’s like when a little kid unrolls ALL of the toilet paper and you just have to get a pic of it before you scold . . . You are a brave mom. seeing Lauren makes me happy 🙂 i love kansas harvest! we were going to try to make it up in time so that my boys could ride in the combines but i think we’re gonna miss it. boo. p.s. i love your farm house. Well, now I want to live off in the country farther than I already do. Looks like you girls (and guy) had a ball. Those storms were rough here, too. But the weather has been mild ever since. Totally worth it. You make Kansas look so cool. I love gigging for frogs and finding turtles. We used to catch turtles, draw a giant circle on the driveway and have turtle races. 🙂 We do cucumbers and ranch when we do weenie roasts too! Looks like a fabulous day! oh. my. sweet. life. It’s been stormy all week here in Florida.. I am sick of it! It is supposed to go through the weekend. All I want to do is go to beach, but that won’t be happening.. Boo! 🙁 Could the feather be from a barred rock chicken nearby (our feathers look like that)? yay for family time! Yup. You *had* to pick up the frog! I’ve had to do the same thing! Your girls will brave up next time, now. Bonus is that YOU are even cooler than before 🙂 I love those new Kid Made Modern art supplies at Target! I just bought some for my 5 year old artist for his preschool graduation gift yesterday. He was so excited he started using them right away. I was crazy tempted to buy the water colors for him but he has a ton of watercolors right now and I think it would break my heart to see the colors get all mixed together on the pallet (because you know that’s how 5 year olds do it). I might have to go buy them for me even though I prefer watercolors in tubes. They are just too pretty to not buy. I always thought I was a city slicker, but now you have me intrigued by the quiet farm life. I love visiting your blog and its part of my daily/weekly routine. I thought I’d lost interest since the posts doesn’t have your gorgeous “craft” home in the background but I realized its you and how you capture the quiet & “ordinary” moments with your family. You help me realize the little things of every day really are not little. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 What a great day. I wish I lived by all those turtle and frogs and wildlife. Your kids are going to have great stories to tell their kids. What a fun day!! My daughter has those chevron pants (from Target). And I would have cried too if I fell in that yucky water with snakes and frog eggs!! Poor Annie! Looks like you guys had a great time! You really have the most awesome fabulous life! Thank you for sharing this day of adventure! Looks like such a peaceful, wonderful time together! it’s a turkey feather. 🙂 I just kept thinking… But what about all the mosquitoes? Don’t you have mosquitoes in Kansas? Everyone looked so happy…. you must not have mosquitoes : ) Well, it’s official. I want to live there too! 🙂 I love when the kids can explore!! i had a great day. ok….i have to pack my clothes and i head over for craft weekend in the morning. my poor mom….our house is a mess. but i hope she doesn't mind too much while she watches the kids. i thank you mom for coming….and craft weekend thanks you!!
oh and also….the winner for the Make and Takes for Kids book! Our favorite craft supply right now are "googly eyes" my two yr old loves them! Posted by: Lennie | May 02, 2012 at 10:28 AM email me your info Lennie (and great favorite supply too)
LOVE the pictures… You should get a venus fly trap and it will eat all your pesky fruit flies. They are drawn to the plant too…amazing little buggers yet slightly disgusting. You can use apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinger and put a cling rap over the ramekin and poke holes so they get trapped. Should solve your fruit flyvissue! HI Meg, i was reading your blog with my daughter (8years old) and she LOVES Talby’s soccer sandals-she just recently made our Under 9 travel team and would love to get a pair! do you remember where you purchased them? thanks darci (and madalyn) I’ve never tried apple cider vinegar but I put a small piece of banana in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Then poke a few small holes in the cling wrap with the point of a sharp knife. The flies go in but can’t get out and even my worst infestations are gone in a day. I was just going to suggest the apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dish soap thing, but looks like i’m not the only one who knows that trick. Try it. It works. For real. You (and your mom) will thank us all later 😉 I HATE fruit flies too. yuck!!! Also, Talby’s mismatched socks are the BEST EVER!!!! I wear mine like that every day. haha. I learned the apple cider trip while working at a restaurant (gross, I know. but at least we controlled them!). I was addicted to Sorry! as a kid. My family got to the point where I was so obnoxious they wouldn’t play 🙁 death to the fruit flies! ugh! Hi, I visit your blog nearly every day from The netherlands where it still is grey and cold.. I live in quite a big city and when I read your day to day stuff it makes me happy… Have a great craft weekend, if I would live in the usa I would visit you 🙂 Enjoy and relax, have fun….. Love your day-in-the-life posts! Keepin’ it real. Hate it when you have a run where your legs feel like lead and your heart just isn’t in it. I always say that running is such good training for life. Sometimes you just have to keep going, and sometimes life, like running, is just plain hard. Keep moving forward, friend. Worth it EVERY time. You have probably already got a lot of tips about the fruit flies, but a quick search of Pinterest gave me these three (similar) options. Hope they help!!! Great chicken photos! Love Talby’s headband, too. Was Talby feeding the chicken… chicken? That’s what it looks like! 🙂 hey meg! i know this weekend will be fun. thanks for keeping it real! i have a mason jar with about 2 inches of apple cider vinegar in it and a funnel that fits the jar. place the funnel, funnel tip down into the jar. the fruit flies fly in and go to a better place (aka not in my house!). good luck! Megan, I know you love your life in Kansas, but I sure miss you being in des Plaines! Wish we could hang out again. you have been a busy little bee! can’t wait to see the craft weekend pictures – have fun! crossing my fingers that i get to come visit the craft house sometime! Fruit flies…total pain!! I love your post and I love that you are keeping it real!! And those chicken pictures…LOVE…that is my dream to have me some chickens…my husband is scared of my dreams!! 🙂 Have a great Craft Weekend!! OK…seriously, do the chickens peek at you? I know…I am not a country girl….but would like to be. Have a GREAT craft weekend….I am going to have to sign up for one of those!!! I have never been to Kansas!!!!! I am thrilled you posted this! We have fruit flies bad! So many great tips on getting rid of them. Made my day. Loved your blog today. You are real. And the best thing about it is… it makes those of us other “real” people smile. 🙂 Have fun at Craft Weekend. Tracy I want a chicken!!!! I hate fruit flies! the vinegar trick works! I was also going to recommend the apple cider vinegar and a squirt of dish soap. It works great! Just don’t mistake it for juice and drink it. Yuck! the apple cider vinegar folks are right…it works. however, i put a thin, thin, thin, layer of oil on top…they are still attracted to the vinegar but get stuck in the oil. our traps are caked with them right now. Sounds like my everyday! I like to say I thrive on being busy, but I end up freezing from being overwhelmed. The fact that you get up off the couch and exercise is what is important! I am a cardiac nurse. I see what inactivity can do to the body. Have a great weekend. Mexican Train is the best game around. My family loves to play it… er, my adult family. Still waiting for the 4 year old and 6 year old to grow into it. The 6 year old is learning. love your random posts like this. and the pics of the chicken- fabulous. Your post wasn’t boring at all. Its life and that’s why I visit. I like to see what other people do in a different part of our country. I agree, blog posts with out pictures are dull. The chickens are pretty. My mom told me about a sure fire way to kill gnats/fruit flies. In a small dish put either sweet wine/white wine with a few drops of dish detergent. Works like a charm! They flock right to it. I never noticed how beautiful chickens were before your pictures. Check the bug spray section of Walmart…I found these little round apple looking things that are traps for the fruit flies. They worked better than the apple cider traps I made. Good luck! lately, everyday over here as been LONG. Hi Meg, I’ve been following your blog for quite some time now but I’ve never commented…I love reading about your family life – you’re so inspirational! Love the farm life you’re living too (I grew up on a farm). Red wine with a drop of dish liquid but you have to change it often because they are attracted to the alcohol and it evaporates. I hope you have a fun weekend! the chickens’ feathers are so pretty!! First off thanks for posting the random but true “real” stuff that sometimes takes place!! Kids eating rice while we get “lost ” in other stuff! Any post of yours is a great post. That’s all 🙂 Like your chicken photos and your post. You made me laugh….. fruit flies SUCK! Apple cider vinegar! Seriously! I keep a mason jar about 1/4 full of it in our kitchen all summer because fruit flies are terrible where I live. Love the chicken photos! Those are the cleanest chickens I’ve ever seen! Great photos! No need to swat fruit flies! Put some cider vinegar in a little bowl with a couple of drops of dish washing soap. Apparently they are attracted to the vinegar, but the soap doesn’t allow them to fly back out. Use clear glass so you can have fun counting how many little suckers you catch! Please share about Mexican Train if you have not already! Or link to it? Love the chicken photos! Glad you made it through your long day. we are still loving the neighbor's chickens.
the kids keep asking when we are getting OUR chickens?? but look who just moved in across the street from my front door!!! i love the grass stained knees! and another sunset picture. this is my outside area that needs work. my mom said "i thought you were taking a break?" this past weekend we had such a beautiful night that we decided to have a campfire. it was pretty much a perfect night. pretty amazing. i may even agree to do some tent camping in the yard this summer. maybe…..
***************************************** btw….i just made it to Utah. i can do this. deep breaths. smiley face. i need to go find more deoderant.
Meg i have said this before but admire you for your move and though you have not shared the details, i know it is awesome! I love that you have cows and chickens, i am a total country girl stuck in suburban california…one day, maybe God will bless us too with a move to a slower paced life…for now i enjoy your pictures. LOVE the cows! My 2 year old loves the cow pics. Thanks for sharing. My sons are on my lap chatting in my ear about your cows but they request to see a bull, haha. SO glad to have met you. You really put life in perspective in our short chat. I can see why my sis is obsessed with you.. hey meg…it’s snap ugly crier gush girl.:D I live on a dairy farm so I HAD to comment! 🙂 Although we have Jersey cows…:) You know the brown ones with the big soft eyes? 🙂 Chickens are far easier to take care of than even our cat and dogs! You’d be surprised. Love your photos and the new house. And take your time…work on the front when you want…if you want. You’re in the country now, girl. Things move at a different pace:) Enjoy it! I super love your cow pictures. So funny how they stayed so close together in a line. And the grass-stained knees…I love cows. Cows! I feel especially close to number 109, now that I know what the inside of his nose looks like! My father-in-law has chickens and my kids love them… they freak me out! I had to show my two children your pictures! They laugh at me because I take my camera with me when I walk and have been known to stop and take pics of the neighbors’ “gorgeous girls”–cows and “cuties”–goats. (named somewhat mockingly by my teenage daughter as I had to stop for yet one more picture!) Oh my gosh. You are LIVING my dream. I would looove to live in the country again. …Now how can I make that happen for me? Hmm… I absolutely LOVE all these pictures. wonderful as always and you are going to be brilliant this weekend. head held high, deep breaths, shoulders back and remember…smile when you enter the room, it relaxes others and lifts the features of the face! good luck. Living in the country is the best. We love our chickens and we have a huge variety so that we not only get brown eggs…we get speckled ones and blue ones. We have outside rabbits in a large enclosed area since we live where mountain lions and bears wander through the creek nearby. Animals are wonderful to have because they teach our kids responsibility. I barely do anything with the animals. 🙂 Enjoy! Get the chickens. My girls are awesome. We go out of town a lot and we have a dog who loves our chickens. Super easy pets and we always have fresh eggs. Love the pictures of the cows, Meg. Made. my. day. Thank you so much! Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend! I love love love your cows!!!! Especially Mr. 132. That tongue is just crazy!!!! You’ll be great in Utah, I’m sure everyone will love you!! :o) Amazing! I love the close-ups. Cows are so pretty. Good Morning! The Lord brought you to mind when I read this today, so I thought I’d share: Havign smores in the cool of the evening is a sweet time with family! Lovely place. I am loving your farm life. 🙂 My neighbor has chickens. I love them. She has two labs- they leave the chickens alone- sniff them. I get eggs from them. But now I feel guilty every time I eat chicken. Love it! I’m so jealous still 🙂 You’re so blessed!! Awesome. Love the pics! Farm life is treating you well. The cows are fabulous you lucky girl!! people adore you, megan! you will do great! Just pretend you are hosting all of them like at a craft weekend! Then you won’t feel nervous. You’ll know you’re about to welcome them to a wonderful experience! #109 is litrally the cutest cow I’ve ever seen! (I like to spell it like that cause that’s how he says it!) oh man! it is letting me leave a comment. 🙂 I am not sure what weirds me out more…a group of cows, or a group of women bloggers!!!! How fun! How lovely! How much I dream of a house like that! I love the 132 cow picture! I hope that is going to be framed in your house somewhere. That is the same view but from my screened in porch!!! You are going to be great sister!! Just remember you rock! Love YA!! Can’t wait to hear all about it! All I can think of is Meg turned Pioneer Woman. 😉 Thos pictures of the cows are beautiful! It would have scared me to have them so close, good for you, brave one! I love, love, love the cow pics! Especially #109! (lol Angie!) Awesome. Do you feel like PW taking pics of all those cows for your blog? lol LITERALLY 🙂 Look at you! You are a true farm girl now. 😉 Love, love, love cows. They are so funny. And their eyes are so kind. i just love, love those cows and wow your new home is awesome! not something you ever see here in so. ca..just beautiful. but i am for sure bonkers over #109 how could you not lay one on his nose! he is so sweet! love your blog… it’s so so fun! Have a good time at SNAP. And, then when you get home, your front garden would be perfect for an herb garden! What a peaceful new life you have now. I’m happy for you;) omigosh SO BEAUTIFUL! great photog 🙂 Not gonna lie, I miss seeing pics of your old house, or should I say “the craft weekend house” now. But I’m falling in love with your country home. Very cool. loven the chicken and cow and sunset pictures. the thing is…will your kids still eat chicken if they have live ones in their yard? i know they wouldn’t eat their very own! but, will they make the connection? just a thought! have a blast at snap. i know you will!! seriously love how you call the cows by their numbers. once you discover their personalities you should name them! you’re super fun… I want chickens SOOOO bad! One day my hubs is on board, the next he isn’t…we live in Wichita… the city says we can have up to 3. I can handle that:-)…maybe sneak in a couple more;-) We live on a farm with cows! We love ’em. Our evenings are often spent checking the cows. My 10 month old especially likes them 🙂 the BEST is the new little calves! They are so playful and frolick everywhere. Not so smelly and “manure-y” yet either. 🙂 praying for your conference! You’ll do great! I love your new home. I’m confused, did you move and I missed it? Thanks for sharing the pics. I am having cow envy! We would looove to move to an area just like yours, but alas, the housing market is preventing any movement for us. I long for only the sounds of wildlife in the evenings. Keep sharing pictures…I look forward to them! Hmmm..I wonder if my subdivision would frown on chickens. I will totally build you a coop. I mean that seriously. I only live 2 hours away. Maybe we could work out a swap of some sort or a discount if my name ever comes up for a Whatever Craft Weekend spot. I have several sets of plans and I’ve been thinking a coop would be a fun project for a while. That and I really wanted to design one after the Williams Sonoma Agrarian collection came out a couple of weeks ago. What is SNAP in Utah ??? Oh, these pictures are making my heart sing! I heart #132 and that tongue sticking out! Oh I LOVE it! I love snapping pics of cows – they are bit stinky animals but they are SO PHOTOGENIC! Since you’re a bonafide “country” girl now, I must tell you that you live on a road, not a street-lol!! YOU CAN DO IT! (or God can do it through you!) Ha! Great post! (And I think you’re jealous of ol’ #132… not many people can do that! Although my husband can… TMI?) You made cows look so happy! Great pics!!! Get some chickens!!! Maybe your neighbor with the chickens can take care of yours while you’re on vacation. We have a farm across the street that grows strawberries and has chickens…best eggs ever and my kids are obsessed with the chickens. Those cows are adorable – so sweet, with their big, dark, trusting eyes. That tongue! Eeek. Meg! What perfect timing?!?!? This post was meant to be. This weekend I was planning on starting 2 paintings. One of cows and one of a chicken! These are awesome reference photos for me. The paintings are for our first little girl on the way, for her nursery. Yay!!! Jumping for joy!! It is a sign that I am supposed to start NOW!!! Thanks Meg, for the inspiration and help you did not even know you were giving!!!! I will be sure to show you the paintings when I am done! you’re so lucky!! My boys would LOVE it there!! I look out my window and see houses… houses and houses. BUT if I drive for about 15min I’m in NYC!! meg, wait till the cows start running with you!! when we were on the farm and i would run down the road beside the cow paddock/field they would run along the fence line with me and wait till i was coming back and then turn and run with me again!!! Cows are pretty cool! Beautiful pictures. Can I move in? Love the cows. Oh, beautiful cows! A dear old friend of my mom’s called them Meadow Ladies. Aww… aren’t cows great!? I rode one when I was about 8. Well, I rode it until the lady across the road called my gramma and tattled. It really was different from a horse! Love love your blog! thanks for the wiww tutorial inspires me to go shopping which I really “don’t love”. Chickens and COWS…. man you are in the country! Miss my country life as a child. Such beautiful pictures! Can’t wait until you share the inside of your home, but that probably won’t come until winter, as beautiful as it is outside. 🙂 I love the cows! what to do when my two girls have two boys over to play?
our neighbors have a pond to explore that is full of all kinds of creatures.
after the boys' mom came and we showed her their treasures we put them all back in the pond. i am pretty sure that this is going to be the best summer we've ever had. as i drove home last saturday down the dirt roads with the fields bright green and the clouds covering the sunset 17 years later seeing mr. duerksen out in the country on his "horse" …..i think i have the perfect cowboy for me.
happy wednesday peeps.
I’m catching up on my reading and just saw this post. So lovely. I know your kids will love living out there. And if I had to guess, that is the leftovers of a turkey egg. Very cool! I didn’t grow up on a farm but we visited my grandfather’s farm a lot so we got our chicken, cow, barn cat , wandering the in the broom sage, playing in the creek fix! My mom and her siblings kept the farm after my grandfather passed and I still love to visit, especially when 23 + of us pile into the little farmhouse for Thanksgiving dinner. Priceless! I love your how your dream is now reality. God sure does outdo himself! It’s funny that your post is about this. I’ve had a dream ever since I was a little girl…and it came true..official on Tues! I’m absolutely on cloud nine. I’m so happy for you and your family! Love reading about your country adventures. Your kids look so happy and content. happy. thanks for the fun. I let my kids get pollywags (sp?) last year at the Little League fields with their friends…. I’m actually not sure what ever happened to them… except that I hear frogs croaking all over our neighborhood… all year long… sorry neighbors. haha. Good memories of when I was a kid doing the same thing. What a great post! The landscape is so stunning. You are a lucky girl to live in the country. I have always wanted a farm with funny animals like fainting goats, alpacas, donkeys. I think that would make me giggle everyday. Oh, Meg. Everything about this post leaves me with a big grin on my face, and slight envy in my heart. Okay, maybe more than slight, but not enough not to still be smiling. 😉 You are brave. I’ve never touched a slimy frog. Or a worm. And I have a son. Looks like this is what I have to look forward to, better get over the fear!!! I’m so glad for you that you’ve found your “home”, part of my childhood was spent growing up on old farm land. It was so educational and full of exploring and adventure. I want that for my kids one day, hopefully we’ll make it. I want mountains, country, creeks and a pond, and fields, throw in an old farm house and a barn, oh and a garden that tends itself and I’ll be one happy chick! I do want one cow, for raw milk. Oh dreams! Anywho, I love your blog, but I’m not one for commenting and my reason for commenting today would be to inform the kiddos that the egg they found belongs to a goose. I’ve seen them around our parts lately as well! Look at you country girl! Living your dreams, so great. Love your story of your “cowboy”. I can’t help but think of Little House on the Prairie when you post. I always loved that show and still do. I have them on DVD. I mean who lives with a pond in their neighborhood? Not me in suburban LA. You are a lucky puppy. Enjoy your new country life. You are blessed. Gotta love a city boy on his “horse”. Too funny.. but I can so relate!! I’m sure he loves riding on all that open green space, too. Wild and free!! 🙂 I love frog catching. It’s fun to play in the country and not be stuck in the apartment or townhouse. Fun to have a password and fun that they let you tag along and capture the pics. 🙂 your beautiful daughters look like they have taken to living in the country….too cute! The country is the best place to raise your kids!! It’s amazing to me how life always seems to work out the way it’s supposed to in the end….sometimes it may take a bit longer than we expected. But that’s okay. I guess we’re more fateful for it when it finally happens. So happy to hear you and your family are loving the country life so much. My hubby and I grew up in the country but have lived in the city for years. We bought 5 acres in the country this summer and are so excited to build and move there. We’re going to have to wait a bit longer though before that dream can come true….until then, we’re having fun planning and preparing for our big move. 🙂 You are fueling my fire for wanting to live in the country! I think you’re right about having the best summer there, looks like so much fun! Our six year old explorer would love it! Be tick aware while out in the woods…we found one latching onto our dauthers scalp! We were only in our suburban back yard which freaks me out. I’m a bit jealous but feel torn. I would love to live more in the country but am afraid it’ll be so much driving. To and from the store, practices, friends homes. How has that part been? Or are you guys not too far away from everything? We are looking to buy and looked at a house further out but it just felt too far away from everything. I’d love to hear how that is playing out since you have a large family with sports, activities etc. 🙂 PS-Your pictures do remind me of why my heart wants more country…room to explore, the beauty etc. (sigh) This was an awesome post. Those frogs are so stinkin’ cute. Way better than my spider. Which I didn’t kill. Spiders eat mosquitos. Or however you spell it. I too am enjoying a more rural life- although I do wish I had a barn. my dream at 15 was to grow up to be a famous actress, living in NYC. LOL! ME TOO! The part about wanting to live on a farm, taking Ag Bio at 15 becuase it would be “easy”, deciding to never, ever, ever, marry a cowboy, but still wanting to live in the country. haha!! I love the pictures of your new area, and all the fabulous adventures your kids get to have! oh this post makes me so happy. this is my dream. so very happy for you!! That little bridge over the stream is amazing! It reminds me of where I grew up! (We had no bridge though- just a “crick” as we call it!) What a clever idea to send them frog catching, and those froggies are just minature-too cute! I’m married to a city boy engineer with a nature boy son and a shedmeister golden named Lucy. We live in the burbs in CA but were right on the edge of the country. I wish we’d nudge a little more into the country but I don’t think it’ll happen. I’ll just have to live with one foot in each place. Oh, and with my newly turned 13-y-o son, the password would definitely be p – n – s! Why are adolescent boys so fascinated by it?! goldens are my fav! i have one named flapjack, and the shedding was driving me bonkers. one day at the dog park a guy was telling us all about furminator shampoo and conditioner, and i am not kidding, it works! little to no shedding & i bathe him about every six weeks. btw i named him flapjack to be like waffle, but not to copy :0) You didn’t tell me Katie had a twin!? Love the pics…what a blast! and the password? hee, hee…know you were laughing too!:) my husband has a ‘horse’ just like your hubby’s! He LOVES it!! What a fun time your kids are having! I’m so glad you and your family are getting to enjoy the farm/country life. There is so much to see and learn isn’t there? Just think of the millions of kids that don’t have any idea where our food comes from. A trip to the farm should be included at least once in a child’s early years. We live on 2/3 of an acre in the country and I wouldn’t trade it! Blessings, to you and your family. Enjoy!! Pamela I love this so much. I teared up reading it! 🙂 Too cute! I dream of living in the country. We have our house on the market because we are making our dream come true, too! Moving to the country!!! I totally get it! 😉 Ha ha… Ok 🙂 you’re doing GREAT with the transition. I’m truly thankful and happy for you. I love this post and you are really making me rethink living in the country. 😉 So cool – I really wonder what that egg held?!?!? I grew up with a creek in the woods in my backyard ( and love that my folks still live there, so my kids can play ) – and we’d capture water skippers and minnows for our pets. I only wish I had pictures of me and my brother playing in that creek – reminder to self: take more pictures this summer when we visit Meme and Papa. I said I would NEVER marry a farmer and I did. Including cows that sometimes break into the yard and all. And I love every minute of it. 🙂 Hahaha…love the full circle comment. I always said I could NEVER marry a farmer or a military man. I married a teacher. Now that we’re both teachers we have the same vacations=BONUS! Looks like a lovely day. Glad to see you released the frogs, the pic of the frogs in the jar brought back memories of E.T.! Lovely pics x Glad to see you guys have the right kind of “horse”. 🙂 My dad has worked for Excel for YEARS. Meg, I work for a park district and I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” but it’s a growing problem in the US. I applaud you for getting your kids out in nature, letting them get dirty, and letting them learn and grow. As you know, it is SO GOOD for them. Best years of my life were in the country!! Keep Manhattan just give me the countryside! I live in the Flint Hills of Chase County and I thank God everyday for our little farm and all that we are able to provide for our two kids. We truly live in a beautiful place. Your kids will thank you some day for giving them such a fun place to grow up. Ahhh! I love it! I grew up in the country but not on a farm and it was a BLAST! We spent all summer playing flashlight tag with the kids that lived near… the best! I DID have the privilege of growing up on a farm..snotty cows and all…and let me just say this: YOUR KIDS WILL THANK YOU FOR THIS ONE DAY!!! love it! What a beautiful place to live! So much fun! i said to my little girls after school "let's go for a walk". so 40 minutes later….we went for a walk.
🙂
after a 5 day break i am going running again in an hour. i finished 100 miles last friday. ha. happy thursday everybody.
i love everything about this. that field is amazing. Those white flowers clustered together are beautiful! So delicate. Yea for flowered brick paths and old forts! I don’t know if you can do anything with them since you’re renting but I would paint those triangle trim pieces leaning against the barn white and hang them up somewhere! So fun! Kelly I love your pics and I love taking walks and exploring with my 4 kids around here – beach and bush. Beautiful photos! My boys would love playing in that fort. Thanks for letting us join you on your day of exploring! stunning part of the world you guys live in! I’ve been looking eeevveerryywwwherree for silver sparkle converse, obv’s not here in the uk yet! xx Hi Meg! Beautiful photos! May I ask what lens you used to take them? What a wonderful walk! I love the creativity and beauty in your pictures! What lens do you use? Cute neighbordog!! Your exploring walk looks like it was loads of fun. Made me long for country life and an exploring walk, not an afternoon of homework, swim team practice, eating in shifts, driving, and hubby travelling. Something about Mary…haha, love that movie. Always love your photos, but this batch is especially fun. That’s one happy dog for sure…I bet waffle is big time jealous! Happy Easter! I love your dandelion pictures. Very artsy. I also love your Labby neighbor. He looks just like my black Lab Hank when we adopted him a few years ago. Labs stay spazzy and puppy for soooo long. aww. poor waffle!! that dog looks like a sweetheart! LOVE your country pictures … they say “home” to me! haha! There’s Something about Mary!!! I love the first picture of the cute dog, it reminds me of the do in “up” …….squirrels!? lol!!!! I want to “like” some many of the above comments. Love that you get out and enjoy nature with your family. I hope you have a very blessed Easter! Oops, I meant photos… I love your beautiful photo of nature and the girls. You are inspiring with that camera! It’s bright and sunshining here in Brisbane, Australia. And it is supposed to be Autumn (aka Fall) here. Love living in the subtropics. So love your walks in the country!!! LOVE!!! Hope you have a fabulous long weekend together!!! Love the photos…looks just like home to me. so many pretty photos that it kinda feels like I took a walk in Kansas 🙂 Ok, that settles it…I am SO taking a vacation to Kansas. Gorgeous. Seriously. It is bright and sunshiney her today! The quote is from There’s Something About Mary, right? Love all the pictures! I was wondering where Waffle was, poor guy jealous of the neighbor 😉 Can I rock Annie’s style at almost 40!? Pretty photos gurl, pretty ..pretty. Such a tranquil way to spend the afternoon. After being in CO for 18 years, we have made our way back to the midwest and I am very thankful…your pictures show why. i first fell in love with you when you wrote about taking a walk with annie…you walked to pre school… What lens do you use to get these shots? I love them! Reminds me of Sunday afternoon hikes with my cousins. We couldn’t wait to finish lunch so we could explore the woods behind our houses. thanks for sharing your days with us. makes me smile. 🙂 Something about Mary! Oh meg… this is so beautiful! I am that kind of runner too. My son jokingly erased my playlist on my ipod and replaced it with Alvin and the Chipmunks Greatest Hits. I made it one block before I turned around and came home. No way can I run with only my heavy breathing to listen to 🙂 BEAUTIFUL! I grew up in Nebraska but now live in Texas…. I miss home. Thanks for giving me a taste of it 🙂 There’s Something About Mary!!!!! These are great pictures! I love the butterfly picture! It is so green down there! Ha ha! Your neighbourdog is hilarious!! Dear Annie~please stop growing! I have to know… Living in Kansas and walking through tall grass and fields and being by a creek, do you not see snakes, poisonous snakes?! I only ask because I hate and fear them. Like more than anything. Are you sure you didn’t magically end up on our property yesterday? 🙂 Your walk and words about country life are my normal and happy place. We had a groundhog cross the yard yesterday and eery sounding coyote wake me up! Love the flower bricks. 🙂 Happy Thursday! We have a neighbor dog just like that. If we are outside, she is right beside us. She thinks she belongs to us. We like her……most of the time. Except she started in the garden……oh dear. Your photos are beautiful, even with gray skys. Have a great Thursday! |
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julie - Crickets. Grasshoppers. Whatevs. I need to come to the country and learn about bugs. Soon.
julie - I love your guts way more than cricket guts.
For reals.
Thank you friend. Soooooo much.
Jade Cook - DONE! Love those girls and love the print. Thanks!!! =)
Emily - We do have so much! Thanks for the print… bought one to add to my hall! It’s a perfect reminder as a mother too.
Stephanie - 🙂 we donated too. I tell my kids about the kids in Sudan often and this is a great way for me to show them a tiny way in which we can help.
amanda d - my brother just got back from South Africa and I’ve loved hearing the stories and seeing pictures. skipped Subway today to buy a print – thanks for sharing! 🙂
Becki - Those shots with the grasshopper and the jar with your daughter looking in… stunning!
Krys - The kids and I donated 🙂 We already printed out our turquoise sketch and have it hanging up – it was so easy – and every time we walk by it we can remember & pray for the families in Sudan. Thanks so much for letting us know about this! Just lovely <3
Lacey - I love that you are always helping us be the best version of us. You give us so many different ways to help! I’m going to donate to the Sudan project. Thank you for always showing me a sweet direction for my helping hand. You. Are. Great!
kim - Meg, you are the best. Thank you for having a passion for Africa and it’s people. You are right, it is a big faith move, and God is SO good. As of yesterday, we are nearly halfway to the initial goal! Thank you again for helping spread the word and your heart! Love you! Big, huge, gigantic hugs to you!!!
Jessica Johnson - i love grasshoppers and i love you. no words. thank you.