Cock a doodle Dooooooo

We have chickens! We spent the weekend (in the horrible, mind numbing heat) building a chicken coup and a run for our new family members; Big Mama, Emily, Lily, and Matt. (Kyla picked out the names...I know that you're surprised:) ) We have a mama hen and three chicks. They have mostly feathered out and we are just waiting to see if we have laying hens or strutting roosters, hopefully laying ladies, we want yummy fresh eggs someday.

They came to us from a friend of my mom's via the Bonnell Chicken Transportation Company on Sunday afternoon. The mama hen is very protective of her babies and isn't comfortable just yet with her new digs, comfy as they are.


Chad made the coup and run totally from recycled wood. (Go Green Oregonians Go!)We did have to purchase some new hardware and the chicken wire. We have some cleanup to do and some finish work on the coup but our chickens have a happy home:) The kids were trying to be quiet so Big Mama would let the chicks come out, no such luck at that point.


The poor mama chicken...her chicks climb all over her. From one mom to another, I think she needs some alone time:)

Potty Time!

We have officially started potty training camp here at the Riddle house. We started yesterday and Gavin has been doing fairly well to date. This morning we ran to Walmart and Gavin picked out his own big boy undies. Of course they have cars on them:)


He is quite proud of his big boy underpants and wanted to show them off. Big Sis showed him some model moves, too funny:)


They are a bit on the big side, but they're smallest size that we could find. They stay up and they have cars on them, coolest undies ever according to Gavin. He'll eventually grow into them:)

Summer Days

A couple of days ago while Chad was working on a outdoor project, I turned on the sprinkler to water our fruit plants. The kids were drawn to the water like moths to a flame and continued on to have a grand old time. Something that will be forever etched in my memory; the laughter, the excited screams, and the belly laughs. The pictures do the best job of telling the story.

Presenting ... One Summer Evening

The End

Gabe turns One!

The four of us piled in my parent's truck on Friday and made the drive up to the Tri-Cities for my nephew's first birthday. We had a great weekend full of fun, intense heat, and family.


The kids had a blast playing together, Gabe still is a bit wary around the big kids though:) The boys played on Chad's computer (don't worry, no harm done), they hung out in a box, and they swam in the pool - you know, boy stuff:)


Randi took Kyla for a ride on her horse, Britches. You can only imagine how excited Kyla was:) She even got to help sponge Britches off. She loves everything about horses!


We celebrated Gabe's birthday on Sunday after church with a BBQ and a b-day party. Happy Birthday Gabe!! What a great trip!


Thanks Uncle Josh and Aunt Randi for opening your home to us!

The wedding

One of the main reasons we went to IN was to celebrate my cousin Kyle's wedding. This is on my dad's side and we traveled up to Northwestern IN for a long weekend of fun and celebration. Gavin stole the hearts of most of the males, they snuck him food and dessert faster than I could wipe off his sticky little mouth:) while Kyla danced with anyone who would partner with her. It was a great time to visit with my cousins and with my aunts and uncles. The bride and groom's photographer left right after the reception started to I offered to take pics of the festivities. What a fun time!

The Bride and Groom

Kyla and Grandpa Kevin dancing the night awayThe food bandit in action with cousins Abby and Joe and with my cousin Adam

My cousin Kyle and Abby and Gavin during the money dance
My Grandmother, my Dad and I
My cousin Kelly and Kyla and then Gavin with Kelly and her fiance' Justin

My Uncle Bernie

Indiana Trip...

Well, I have an embarrassing amount of pictures from our two weeks in Indiana so I'll put some of my favorites up as time allows. Enjoy!

Kyla DRIVING my Uncle JD's golf cart. I went inside the house to grab something and I came out to this! Hmmm, at least she had her bike helmet on:)

Mom checking out Kyla's borrowed bike...
My Aunt Beanie and Kyla - Kyla's favorite person in all of Indiana:)

My cousin CJ and Gavin
My cousin's dog Sugar Mae and the kiddos, who were only slightly intimidated by the horse sized animal:)
Grandpa and Gavin doing farmer stuff:)
The obligatory picture on my grandparent's front porch. Every time we go, we have to take a picture of the kids (who ever they are at the time) against the bricks so we can tell how tall they are. I can't tell you how many pictures of me and Josh there are in this position and my mom too! Kyla, Grant (age 2) and Gavin

The first day we hung out at my grandparent's house and my cousins came out with their kiddos. It was obscenely hot (99 degrees with 85% humidity) and the kids wanted to play in the water... Crazy I know!
More to come

Bike Ridin' Babe!

We are back from our whirl wind trip to Indiana and we are trying to settle back into the normal routine. On our first evening home, Kyla realized that Chad had taken off her training wheels on her bike and she was ready to go and try it out. We walked across the street to the park and away she went! What a kid! Gavin took his "bike" over too:) I must admit to being teary eyed a time or two as she tried and failed but then picked herself up and tried again. She was determined and fearless and so ready to do it on her own.

She had just realized that Chad had let go and she was doing it all by herself. What a smile!


Look at her go!


Leaving Daddy and Gavin in the dust:)


In the process of "stopping." We are still working on that part:)


She is so excited and we are so proud of our little girl. Great job Kyla!!