Happy Birthday....

 

 Happy teenager Caleb!  We now have 4 teenagers!  Caleb's birthday breakfast: Cinnamon twists, eggs and goat milk (thanks Jane)!  It was a good thing I decided to get up at 7 a.m. because I underestimated how long cinnamon twists take from start to finish,  It's about 3 hours! 

 

 

 Brothers!  Caleb is going to be tall!

 Jordan did it again!  She made a really great cake.  This time it is a sword, a flaming sword!

 Love the action shot.  It was completely dark when I took this and wasn't sure what the shot would look like.  It turned nice!

 Brothers and sisters rally around their brother!  Lena, quit looking at daddy!

Legos and some great Douglas Bond books to keep Caleb busy this summer!

Asparagus...

 Yesterday, this is what my asparagus looked like in the garden.   It's hard to see but there are lots of tall shoots of asparagus.  They took awhile to come but there were plenty out there.  It's our best yield yet.

 Here is that same asparagus!  We had roasted asparagus for supper tonight.  I tossed it in olive oil, sprinkled coarse salt on it, some pepper and minced fresh garlic on it.  I put in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.  I really liked it.  Kevin ate quite a bit (not sure he "liked" it cause he eats anything) and everyone else had to try it.  It was hard work for Gideon to take a bite but Rebekah had made oatmeal bars with caramel frosting so the ones that didn't like it choked it down quite quickly when told they wouldn't get a bar without eating it :) 

We had a fresh lettuce salad.  I cut the lettuce tonight.  It's fun to see it keep growing in the tunnel and it's a nice addition to any meal.  Em made some home made French dressing and Jordan made some buttermilk ranch dressing and it was well received.  We also made meatballs tonight with two avocados mashed in it and a big spoon of squash.  I forgot to add eggs to it but they turned out well.  I added some coarse salt and garlic powder in them and they were so moist and delicious.  You can't tell there are avocados or squash in them.  If you want to add nutrition to your food without your family knowing it, here is a great way to do it.  We do the same thing with meatloaf, when we have avocados on hand.  I imagine it would help out a hamburger too.  My hamburgers tend to be dry inside and need lots of condiments!! :) 

Recital...

 Emily played a waltz "Faust".

 Caleb's first recital and he was wonderful!!!  He played "French Folk Song".

 Jordan played "Feelin' Good" on the piano.

 Emily played "The Swan".

Jordan played "Sonata" (Allegro) on violin this year accompanied by her teacher. 

There were 41 selections played.  That's a lot of lessons given and hours played in practice!  It was a very enjoyable recital!

Trying out something new....

 I found this picture Emily took of the chickens, geese, ducks and the goats grazing in the background.  She's trying to capture a good shot to enter a photography contest for a goat calendar.

 Here is one of our babies.

Isaac is tilling the "new" garden with a tractor we are trying out.

 By the end of the garden Isaac had figured it all out.  It would be so great to secure this little beauty of a tractor with tiller and loader!!!!  I sure hope the price is right!!

Babies, ducks, and reflexology...

 Jane had twins.  The girl is named Ada but the boy has no name as of yet!  So cute and fun!  Waiting for Lizzie, Georgiana and Clover to have their babies!   Jane always gives us twins, a boy and a girl!

 Doesn't this duck look like it is smiling?

 Caleb put the duck in a barrel of water and she was happy about that!

 Emily's book on reflexology came in the mail and she's been practicing on all of us.  She knows where to rub on  your feet or hands to stimulate your colon, stomach, knee or any other place on your body.  It is pretty neat!

Lena's enjoying her foot rub, reminds me of the duck, huh?!?

Salad for supper...

 Here is a zucchini plant growing out in the high tunnel!

 I planted strawberries in there about 2 weeks ago or a little more and they are doing really well.

Moriah is helping me cut lettuce for supper tonight!  It is tall and so clean because the rain doesn't fall in here splashing dirt on the lettuce!  Dirt on the lettuce is a pet peave of mine.  It's going to be wonderful!