Monday, September 19, 2011

Wild Man Willy!

What else can I say? The title explains it all. Our little angel, Prince William has turned into Wild Man Willy! As you can see from the video, after simply refusing to walk for what seemed like months, William is finally walking everywhere and is into everything! Over the past month, William would stand up, take a step or two, and start laughing so hard that he would finally just fall down. At first, we laughed at him and with him, but this reaction hindered his progress significantly. You see, instead of wanting to walk, William wanted to make us laugh so he would purposefully fall down!

In addition to becoming very mobile, William's vocabulary has dramatically improved over the last week. He can say, Dada, Mama, up, dadoo (interpretation - thank you), hot, hi (he loves talking on the phone), and of course NO! In addition, he has started to repeat animal noises he hears outside such as moo and baa. I am truly amazed at how quickly his vocabulary is developing.

William loves being outside and will grab your hand and lead you to the door in hopes that you will take him outside. He continues to adore his brothers and his dogs, as he will stand at the door, nose-to-nose on the screen with Tex and share various plans about their future explorations. William also loves music more than any baby I have ever known. He will dance to any kind of music, play the piano, and loves watching music videos with Daddy in the mornings.

At 13 1/2 months, our Wild Man Willy provides us with much entertainment and countless laughs! It is hard to believe that he is growing up so quickly.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Harvest

Fall is by far my favorite season. I have always loved the crisp, cool mornings and warm days. I enjoy watching the leaves and other foliage change colors as we progress through September into October and November. This year, fall has seemed to evade us, as up until this past weekend we have experienced temperatures in the high 80's and 90's. In my opinion, this is too hot for fall, especially when you work in a building without air conditioning! This weekend, we were able to enjoy fall-like temperatures in the 70's and 80's.

Although I love the weather, there are many other reasons fall is my favorite time of year. I believe my adoration for fall stems from all of the events that occur during the season. First, I love watching football! Professional, college, high school, it doesn't matter. Football is a true sign of fall. Hunting is another indication that fall has arrived. Deer, elk, pheasant, chukar, and quail hunting are also trademarks of fall. Of course, I also enjoy this season because my birthday is in October! Fall can also be a reminder that the holidays are just around the corner.

As a farming family, a necessity in fall is harvest. Primarily this consists of chopping corn, hauling it to the silage pit, and packing it so it will store for winter feed for our cattle. Chopping corn is a collaborative effort which requires the help of many people. But, as with other activities, the more people that are involved, the more enjoyable and memorable the event can be. This was the case this weekend, as we chopped our fields of corn with the help of friends and family. The beautiful fall weather combined with harvest made for such an enjoyable weekend!


Tex, William, and I climbed the hill to take some pictures.

William playing in the dirt.

A view of part of the field from the top of the hill.




Matthew and Peter helping upload trucks.

Peter rode with Bob McElroy in the truck most of the weekend.

Gary McElroy packing the silage into the silage pit.

William looking longingly at the corn chopper.

Here they come!

Toby and Matthew running the corn chopper.


A view from the captain's chair. William and I rode in the chopper for a short time.

Matthew, Peter, and Fidel unloading a truck.

Watch out!

Feeding a hungry crew takes a lot of food.

Today's menu consisted of pork loin, mashed potatoes,
marinated tomato and herb salad, watermelon, and pumpkin pie for dessert.