The chicks are here!

 Each year my dad gets a dozen chicks to add to his flock. Each year, everyone goes nuts for them. Who wouldn't? They are absolutely adorable. But do you know what's more adorable than chicks? KIDS with chicks! So please forgive the photo heavy post but I had so much fun taking pictures of the kids with the chicks that I cannot decide which to post. So I'm posting a lot.

Kaleb with " his" chick.

Cameron the self proclaimed " chick magnet"

Mason had to be eased into holding the chicks. His first inclination is always to eat them!

Can you guess what happened next? Yes. That bird pooped on Mack's head. As Mack does, she wiped it off and continued on mothering these little babies.

Does this photo not just melt your heart? She tucked that little chick into her shirt and was in heaven, snuggling with it.

The most fun was had when Mason's chick escaped his grasp and jumped across to Macky.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Mike ( and his March Mustache- raising money for the burn fund at work) and the beach themed canvas my mom painted for him.

Mike celebrated the big 35 a few weeks ago. In true Mike Long fashion, he reported that 35 feels a lot like 34. We wanted to celebrate the man we love so much and call husband, daddy, son-in-law, uncle and brother-in-law ( to name the nice ones *wink* ) My mom and I put together a beer themed dinner. Also in true Mike Long fashion, he insisted on cooking his own favorite meal- ribs, of course! They were wonderful and there wasn't a single morsel to be found once the crew had their fill.

My mom baked a beer cake inside mason jars. They were a big hit!

See?

Kaleb

Spring break in photos

 Our spring break plans were to enjoy the days as they came. Mackenzie spent many  mornings in her jammies and we spent lots of warm afternoons in the sunshine playing at the park or at Grams and Papa's.

This is the pile of weeds I picked on the last day of winter.

The kids soaking in some sun on the last day of winter.

Lots of time for board games! Mack's technique for buying every property she lands on prevails again.

Mack was in "Need" of new high heels since her others were too small. They grabbed the attention of this little boy.

"Here's Mase. You can wear these"

More treasures mailed from Grammy

" What will we do today, Gunner?"

Spring break included LOTS of park visits. We did a park tour of sorts, visiting lots of different area parks.

And trips to Grams and Papa's. Mason is quite the climber.

A shadow heart we found at the playground

An afternoon on the farm

Mike had worked a pretty stressful stretch and I thought he would enjoy the silence that comes with an empty house. Off to the farm we went! What a gorgeous day we had helping Gram's prepare the garden and Papa gave horseback rides.  Kaleb was there to play, too, which is always exciting for Mackenzie who daily declares that Kaleb is her best friend. Grams taught them the general rules for throwing horse shoes and they had fun doing that and looking for early emerging toads. Mason, who was still battling a cough and running nose, wandered a bit and following Papa as he worked around the farm. There were several fits in the sand, though, which drove us inside to give him a long warm bath.

My dad loves to lead the kids on horseback rides. He keeps saying that he thinks Mackenzie won't need him to lead the horse much longer.  She'll be doing it on her own.

What a great big sister!

Down the road with Buddy dog

I took this photo for my sister. Over the hill is my parent's drive and each time I turn onto their road at this spot and I hear the gravel beneath my tires I always feel a sense of " Home".  Home would be even more home-y if she were here.

A country moon. I couldn't pass this sprinkler with out stopping for a picture. Good thing my Littles are used to " photo driving" with me. They even point out things to take pictures of, too.  Like this:

Mack liked that you could see the calves in the field.

Starring MASON!

I cannot believe that Mason will be two in just over a month! With his long torso but " barely there" butt, his height matches that of a two year old. He rarely stops moving and is far too busy to sit and eat any thing more than what he can stuff in his mouth with in a two minute window at meal times is proven by the fact that he is barely 24 lbs.  But he's a chatterbox and can express himself quite well.  It's fun to watch him discover the world and see that he can make people laugh.

In the first video, Mason has discovered himself in the reverse camera on my phone. He's eaten a full cup of partially frozen blueberries , accounting for that sweet but messy face. The second video, he's putting his raisins to bed.