Happy Summer Vacation!

Well it's mid-July & summer is halfway over.  We just returned from an awesome vacation at Camp 4U in NY.  While we were there we visited Howe's Cavern.  The last time I was there was in 1982 and John was there a few years later.  Things have changed up on top since then but not too much down below.  The kids enjoyed it and Ben thinks he wants to become a cave explorer now.  Sam spent the week at Camp 4U fishing on Uncle Joe's boat with John and is officially addicted now.  As usual Maisie spent the most time in the water.  She is quite the swimmer and can catch up with the paddle boat now when the big kids are trying to escape on it.  Want to know how we know this???  As always Uncle Joe entertained the kids with tubing.  Our kids and my cousin Missy's boys had fun playing in the water together.    You'll see a few pics of Freckles at camp.  She had fun too.  She spent some time off-leash and was in the water too.  She wasn't brave enough to let her feet get off the bottom, maybe next year......

Congrats to Ben!

A fine awards ceremony today.  So much to look forward to in high school.  Congratulations Ben!

Party!

Aunt Janice was in town so we had a mini Stanek reunion this weekend.  Of the seventeen people,  11 were under age 15.  I am so regretful that I didn't get the camera out earlier in the day when the Moe's were here!  What a night!

New chickens

Well as time marches on our flock is aging.  We have decided to introduce some new hens to take the place of the ones that are getting too old.  We have lost three hens in the past month and the other hens are showing their signs of age as well.  Production is down and well..... as you know, their end is near. 

Here are a few of the new girls.  We were lucky enough to have our friend Kristin raise the babies in her brooder.  She passed on ten to us this weekend.  We have some Isa Browns, Easter Eggers, and a GIANT Jersey giant.  The babies that came to us have a week difference in their hatch dates so you can see a pretty big difference in the size in just a week (not counting our Jersey Giant who is just as giant as her name promises). 

The new babies will not be able to mingle with the other hens for quite a while so they are in a small run for now.  If you live in the neighborhood and want to stop by to meet the babies let us know, they sure are cute and we are trying to get them socialized so they come when we call them and they aren't afraid when we are in their space.