Christmas Morning!

This year Christmas was very laid back for our family. Which for a change was really nice. After we opened gifts the kids headed to their rooms to go through their things while Arron and I stated dinner. It was just our family this year for dinner so we got to be a little more laid back with that. It was a nice slow paced day for a change.

Madison in all her glory

Books, what more could you ask for?

Princess opens her gifts

Christmas Morning before it turned crazy

Bells- Zacks favorite present

Top 10 of 2010

Top 10 Of 2010
10.) We had a chicken pen, turkey pen and rabbit mansion built.
9.) Madison was the best Baby bunny and Chinese in the Nutcracker this year.
8.) A.J got a two month no work pass after having kidney surgery.
7.) Zack entered the farm into the Sandwich Fair and won first place.
6.) We took our first family vacation this summer.
5.) Our chickens started laying eggs.
4.) We finally broke down and got a new computer.
3.) We took in three foster children.
2.) We had a crazy and exciting first year on the Effing Farm.
1.) Our biggest turkey weighed 53 pounds this year.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

All six together

Victorian Christmas

The kids went to the NH farm Musuem for a victorian Christmas field trip.
They made candles checked out the farm animals and learned about a 1900's christmas. Can't say it was the best field trip but they had fun.

Our life has been very busy we made it through our first year here. we are finally updating for 2010. We started spring with 12 new baby chickens, our first garden, received a set of 22 adopted chicken, 15 turkeys, 3 foster children(hense pictures of other kids) age 3,4,6, two new rabbits, many house projects, new turkey pen, chicken house addition, rabbit mansion,trees cut, fire pit, paint inside house,new doors and windows.
We took a family vaction in August, the garden grew and became very productive, Zack entered the farm into the Sandwich Fair farm exhibit and won first place at Sandwich Fair, Dorrie and A.J. grew a 53 pound turkey, Madison did a baking exhibit with cookies, A.J. recieved first place for his cookie exhibit, and numurous other 4-H exhibits done by all three kids. Madison and all three foster kids participated in the pedal tractor pull. The three foster kid enjoyed the fair as a family.
Now in December things are changing fast the foster kids are moving to an adoptive family, wood stacked for the woodstove,turkeys in the freezer, and it's the holidays and we wish everyone a Happy safe Holidays !!!

Rosie Zack's new baby

That time of the year again

Once again Madison was in the Nutcracker. Thankfully they only had two shows this year. And it was done in one day. She's been in the Nutcracker for the last six years. And has done fourteen show of just the Nutcracker. She looks forward to it every year. Not sure that we do.

Baby Bunny

Madison is on the Right side in the back

Madison in the Nutcracker this year

Isn't she the cutest baby bunny you've seen

A.J and Mr. A working on Thanksgiving pies

Play with us Uncle

The kids loving playing with Arron. So when Mr. A asked Uncle to help build a track for his cars it turned into a big thing. With all my kindling being used and Mrs. M helped out with her opion of how it should go. But the little one's had fun and so did Uncle. He loved it. He loved bedtime right afterwards more.

The finish track

Arron's not sure how he got picked to play before bedtime!

Yes, He is splitting wood!

Still working

Rubber Band Powered Cars

Our last science class before the holidays was another fun and exciting class. The kids worked in groups of three or four. And they had a series of challenges they had to face each we when they tested their cars. All they could use was rubber bands a big and small one, paper plates for the wheels big and small and the cardboard body.

The boys with their groups

Madison working on her groups car

Rubber band powered cars

Oliver Twist

Our school group did a play again this Vetan's day. The stage crew meets with the kids on Monday and assign them roles and on the rest of the week the kids learn the songs and lines. On Friday night we put the play on for family and friends. The kids liked it more this year than the one we did last year. Zack runs the lights for the whole show.

Madison was an orphan

Zack runs the lights for the show

Fish Vendor

Homework

We are not a family use to sitting done after dinner and doing homework. This is something very new to us. So when the little kids started bring home homework we had to get use to it. So one day Mrs. M brings home a homework assignment to build a scarecrows head with a male figure in the household and then the next week go to school with the student and help the child build the rest of the scarecrow. Since Arron can't take time of after October he helped build the head with Mrs. M and A.J got to go to Headstart and help her finish it. He was a hit of school that day.

All done

Arron and Mrs. M doing homework

Madison's Birthday

Now that we have space to spread out in. Madison wanted some friends to come over for her Birthday. So she invited some friends over and they made english muffins pizzs and watched a movie in the loft and had a lot of fun with the beads. She wanted a sleep over and we ended up with a half slumber party. She's already planning next year's.

The first party guest arrives

Working on some beads

Girls watching a movie

new chicken addition

Arron on the chicken addition roof

we actually got A.J to help

chicken addition

" HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES !!! "

Mr. A's stash of Apples

Found another one!

Look at the Apple I found!

Mrs. M on chicken watch

Zack's fair ribbons

one of our wagonful of potatoes

A.J and Science

For A.J's last science credit he has to do 12 labs. And since I'm not letting him cut anything up inside my house were waiting for Spring. So for now he's doing some cooking labs. These are Gingers dog bones for the month.

Gingers dog bones

Starting the cookies

the other half of out 4-H display

Our 4-H display

Zack's farm display