Sparkling Springs Day

We had lunch together with Mom and Dad Rhodes at the Sparkling Springs cabin today. (Except Dietrich, who had to sacrifice the holiday for a hard day of work at Sharp Shopper.) Delicious grilled hotdogs and hamburgers with all the fixin's, chips, chili, avocados, drinks, and watermelon and cantaloupe completed the meal. Thanks to Mom and Dad for the food! We relaxed the rest of the afternoon. After a nap in the hammock, Elliot enjoyed throwing rocks, mud, and pretty much anything he could get his hands on in the creek. Philip captured a crayfish and dammed the creek (hmmm...hope the place isn't flooded yet!) and then he, Martin, and the folks played a couple of games of shuffle board. The day ended with a church league softball game in the evening, and our team won! A nice Memorial Day.

Shabbot Shalom

Now this is what a Sunday afternoon nap should be like...

City boys gettin' down on the farm.

Elliot, Vincent, and myself went up to my sister Karen's place this past week to see her incubated peeps hatch. A couple chicks had hatched, and Elliot, along with his Yoder cousins, got to witness this cool event. The Beachy's have quite the "McDonald" farm, complete with a pig, lots of goats, a calf, chickens, rabbit, dog, and cat. (I may have missed an animal or two). Now that we no longer have the luxury of going to our neighborhood museum/zoo every week, we can zoom down the road to the Beachy farm!

Vincent Pics, Etc.

Still as cute, sweet, good, and cuddly as ever. He's also started smiling as of last week. We love him very much!


Big brother's antics. Still as lively, lovable, happy, and talkative as ever. He started walking last week, and toddles everywhere now. We love him very much!

Welcome to the Big House!

Elliot's room. It's the sunniest in the house. No wonder Candice liked it.
Elliot loves to look out the windows ovelooking distant cows, cats, and the comings and goings of aunts and uncles.




Poor Vincent, he's stuck in the hallway for now. He could care less, and it's nice and close to Mom and Dad for those late night feedings.




Our room - funky. We decided to leave the paint. Having a couch and DVD player in our room also gives us some private upstairs space.








My flower and vegetable garden and Philip's tea garden. Sylvia spaced flowers around the rest of the house.

Come again soon!

Skunk in the Henhouse

Skunk hunting season is in! The saga begins with Rebekah going out to check on the chickens and gather eggs on the morning of May the 8th. She is horrified to find a skunk in the chicken pen attempting to drag a dead chicken under the fence. Martin and Philip are called into action and harass the skunk off the immediate premises with dire threats and by throwing chunks of coal at the head of the offender. This skunk is not easily intimidated and continues to mock the Rhodes brothers by strolling about the house and pen with boldness and audacity. A skunk with a taste for chicken is not easily deterred. More drastic measures seem to be required and Martin takes the necessary steps of procurring a live trap from Dad Rhodes, and by calling the town of Dayton for permission to discharge a firearm on the property and within town limits. Animal Control and the town of Dayton give permission, but in the meantime the skunk has disappeared. Martin procures a firearm from cousin Chester and the waiting game begins. early on the morning of the 9th, Martin goes out to find the skunk once again in the chicken pen and approaching the chickens. He runs with much haste to the house and returns with a .22 and deadly intent. Upon reaching the pen he finds the striped one stealthily approaching a cornered chicken and opens fire at the range of about 2 feet upon the offender, with the result of an immediate kill. The chickens meanwhile act clueless and go about their pecking scratching business while brother Dietrich fetches a fork to remove the skunk from the pen (strangely the chickens seem to have a taste for skunk blood). The Rhodes household gathers for a solemn burial behind the garden and the erection of a brick tombstone and the scattering of ashes upon the grave site. Here's hoping for no further skunk sagas in the near future.

3 Weeks Old

Vincent is as laid back as can be. He often sleeps in 4-5 hour blocks at night and cries little during the day. He seems very contented and relaxed most of the time, but he farts like you wouldn't believe. He is beginning to take in more of his world and grinned at Sylvia today. He is a lucky fellow to have aunts and uncles around all the time to hold and give attention to him, and they enjoy him as well. He prefers to sleep on his side or back in the crib, but will sleep almost anywhere: swing, couch, outside in the grass... He's a delightful little fellow, and we look forward to introducing him to more of his family this summer!