Beach Trip 2016

Just a couple of weeks before McKenzie's due date, we took off for the beach.  I was so nervous she was going to go into labor while we were gone,  but the timing of all of it couldn't have been more perfect!

 

 

Our annual beach trip picnic.  When you don't eat at most fast food restaurants you tend to pack your own food for trips. :)

 

 

Our van felt SO empty! :(  McKenzie and Daniel were able to go to the beach with us last year.  This year not only were they missing, but Matthew got left behind.  Growing up stinks.... probably more for me than for them!

 

As soon as we unpacked the van the kiddos hit the beach!

Macheus always doing his own thing!

 

 Attempting a picture with all three of the boys.  Never works out too well. :)

Madeline has really enjoyed her summer break!  School starts back next Monday for all of us.

Malachi missed having his big brother to play with.

I sure love these two girls!

 

"Say cheese!"

Every year we have done a birth order picture on the beach.  This year it turned out fabulous! :)

                        Enjoying the days of him being "mommy's boy"!

 

I ran on the beach every afternoon while the rest of them took a break from the heat.  It was so peaceful.  Jekyll Island is such a beautiful place.

 

 

These two have a hard time giving it up at the end of a day.

 

One of the days we went to the water park.  It was so much fun!

I didn't get many pictures because.... we were in the water the whole time!  They even had a big water slide that I could take Mac on.  We rode it together over and over again!

Myles enjoyed getting to soak everyone around him.

Waiting for the huge bucket to dump.

 

And... it did!

 

 On a little slide all by himself!

 

He slept hard at naptime!

 

 

Mariah started feeding him Oreos in his sleep trying to get him to wake up so we could go play some more!

 

 

Riding bikes is always fun to do on the island.  We rented a cool family bike.

 

I love the trees on Jekyll and St. Simons.

Drink breaks are so important when you are little! :)

 

Dinner on St. Simons Island.

 

Only on vacation do you get to eat ice cream while you wait for your dinner to be served. :)

 

 Madeline did the driving on the way home.  Marc was tired and it gave Madeline some different road experience.

 

Well, this was just a few of the pictures I took.  I miss the beach already!  The girls' trip and our family trip were both so much fun!  I love making memories with my kids, and I'm always a little blue when summer winds down and another school year is upon us.

Busy days

The summer is slipping by so fast.  I get weary of the heat by this time of year, but I will never wish for summer to be gone!

 

We had a dozen baby goats this year!  We have sold most of them.  We are keeping two of the doelings this year and we have one little buckling left to sell.  He was the prettiest baby this year so we waited until the rest were gone before we listed him.  We sold one of our mamas this year too.  She had a nasty disposition and tore up every fence, shelter, stall that we built!  Her new owner loves her!  Go figure! :)

There are days that I would like to get rid of every animal out there!  It is a LOT of money and work!  Then I watch the children working so hard out there and I remember why we got into all of this!  Not only does it provide food for our family, but it has taught them to work HARD!  Malachi has really grown up in the last year.  Matthew is gone so much now that he has had to really step up.  At nine years old he is in charge of taking out the trash, cleans our stairs every morning, feeds and waters the dog, bottle feeds the baby goats every morning, gathers eggs every day and hangs out laundry for me.

One of our horses got tangled up in some of the wire fencing on the horse pasture last spring.  Marc tore the entire thing down and put up wood fencing.  It was a huge job and they literally finished at 10:00 the night before we were supposed to leave for the beach.  We always seem to be frantically finishing up a project before we leave for vacation.  Really poor planning.... or maybe NO planning!

Meet Candy.

And.... this is Mocha.

Mariah is our horse crazy girl! It has been so hot lately that she only rides in the evenings.

This is "Mandrake" and "Poppy".  We bought them last year to add registered Nubians to our herd.  We think she is bred and should kid this winter.  We are hoping so, because we will have milk when the rest of the herd is dry.

Myles...... such a fun little boy!

Matthew is still working two part time jobs in addition to going to school full time.  He has worked at the local feed and seed store since he was sixteen.  Hauling our feed bags is nothing for him! :)

Madeline and Mariah do so much with the animals.  I'm very thankful for the hard work that they put into it.  I usually go out in the evenings to help with things like cleaning out the goat stalls and bottle feeding babies.  We definitely couldn't do all that we do without the two of them though!

"Lily" sporting Madeline's cap. :)

 

When we have a refrigerator full of eggs and fresh goat milk..... it makes it all worth it. :)