Farm Fun

From an early age, Gianna was drawn to farm animals and quickly learned to recognize them and the sounds they make. Right around her first birthday we were driving in a rural area and she spotted cows and horses in the fields.  She started squealing, "MOOOO!!! E I E I O!!!"  We knew then we had to find a farm to visit.

It so happens that my brother has a friend who lives in the country, has a ton of beautiful acreage, and has quite a menagerie of farm animals.  We drove out to his unbelievable place to get a quick look around and meet some of the animals.

When we pulled up and saw cows, we all had to hold our ears while Gianna screamed with glee.  She was beside herself.  Just as we got their, Butch had two enormous bottles to go feed a couple of the calves that had been rejected by their mother. :(  So precious.

He said this next shot illustrated "Progressive Farming"....(ha)

We got to see two little lambs that were born just the day before.

ONE DAY OLD!

She got to pet this super-cute miniature goat...

She even got to sit on a mule. (Can you just hear her?)

She was a little tentative at first.

But she quickly got comfortable...

She even got a tour by the kids who live there...

Oh yes....and there were chickens.

We had one content little munchkin!

On our way out, we got a quick tour of the quaint little farmhouse....

I know.  It wasn't what we expected, either.

And we certainly didn't expect to see a hand crafted Pizza Oven!!!

Yeah, didn't Ma & Pa Ingalls have one of those?

Now, that's MY kind of farmhouse!

Thanks for hooking us up, Uncle Vinnie!

Puzzle Play

I like to spend some time

Just playing by myself.

I might stroll my little baby dolls

or grab a book right off the shelf.

But lately I have found

that there's a new thing I enjoy.

It seems that puzzles have become

One of my favorite toys.

And one thing I've found with puzzles

to be the greatest fun.

Is when I've placed a a piece just right

and exclaim with glee, "All DONE!"

(Thank you for my puzzle, Aunt Laurel.  I love it.)

Wordless Wednesday: "Ow-SIDE"

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, go HERE.

Happy Birthday, Daddy

Dear Daddy,
Happy Birthday to you.
You are the best daddy in the whole world and I'm so glad that God chose you for me (and me for you.)  Mommy says we hit the jackpot, and I know she's right.  {She told me to remind you that she's ALWAYS right! :) }

I love that you keep telling me what I cute baby I am, but Mommy just showed me this picture of you when YOU were a munchkin, and I'm pretty sure you've cornered the cute baby market. (I know that was a run-on sentence, but you gotta gimme a break since I'm only one.)
Thank you for working so hard for me, for rushing to get home to me, for playing with me, reading to me, giving me baths and bottles, trying to match my socks and bows to my outfits so Mommy doesn't roll her eyes, teaching me my colors (which Mommy has not been able to do), and for giving me a glimpse of what it's like to be loved by my Heavenly Father. 
I love you bigger than my cheeks!
"Ah Luz yuuu, Dah Deeee!"
Gianna
P.S.  Mommy says you're pretty special and she loves you bunches.

There was a little girl...

by:  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

There was a little girl

 Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead;

And when she was good,

She was very, very good

But when she was bad she was horrid.

That pretty much summed up my day.