October Rainbow

Following a brief, early-evening thunderstorm, we were treated with a perfectly arched, full rainbow. It framed the barn beautifully!

Have a Great Weekend!

Bibbers Visits the Doctor

It's A Boy!

No, congratulations aren't in order; we've not had a new baby. What we do have is confirmation from our veterinarian that Bibbers the Barn Cat is indeed a boy (or a "neutered male," to be exact.) It was all part of the information we received during our visit to Gentle Animal Doctor Hospital on Saturday the 17th. We chose to take Bibbers into town because winter is a'comin' - and the ol' softie (Scott) wants to open our house to his little buddy when the wind howls and the temperatures drop below freezing. We had to make sure having him inside wouldn't harm Wilson or Leo.

Bibbers did a good job during transport despite his lack of travel experience. (He's a far better traveler than our sure-to-be-car-sick Leo!)

Once we were in the exam room, Scott helped Bibbers stay calm. The technicians had also treated the room (and the purple blanket) with a calming spray which seemed to work.

Bring On the Exam! 

The technician recorded everything we knew about Bibbers, including that we know he's at least six years old. Bibbers weighed in at 10 lbs., 12 oz.

Dr. Miranda Thomassen has taken care of Leo and Wilson for several years, so it was nice to have her treating Bibbs. Based on the condition of his teeth, Dr. Thomassen agreed that he isn't very old. Bibbers was tested for feline leukemia (which was negative,) and given his vaccinations. They also cleaned out his ears, discovering a small infection that we need to treat with some drops for a few weeks.  

Bibbers was given lots of encouragement, made some new friends, and even got some treats during his visit. He will return in three weeks for two booster shots.

He's an official member of the family now! And now that he has a clean bill of health, he can come in and hang out with the rest of us any time he wants. (The funny thing is now he really doesn't seem to want to come in...but he has a beautiful sunny yard to play in and a heated cat condo, so he's not suffering for comfort.)

Stay Tuned for More Fun with Bibbers!

Recap: 5th Annual Lumberjack Day!

Saturday, October 3 proved to be a quintessential fall day; blue skies with an occasional fluffy cloud, a light cool breeze, and a high temp of about 65 degrees. Sounds like the perfect day to celebrate noTTafarm by hosting our fifth annual "Lumberjack Day!" A smaller but mighty group of family and friends spent the day (or part of their day) enjoying the beautiful sunshine and a hotdog or two. Check out the fun!

The scene was set with the hanging of the banner from the wedding arch.

Just for fun, I had t-shirts printed with our new invitation artwork. 

This year was a first for my little pumpkin display. It's never too early for Halloween, right? 

Our first guest arrival was:  Bennett! 

Lumberjack Day would not be the same if the Kupzyk family was tardy. Bennett sported his moose hat and a plaid lumberjack jacket. Plus, he brought along his new baby brother! (keep scrolling for Elliot's picture)

My mommy with our niece Chelsie 

My folks missed last year's Lumberjack Day due to my dad's knee surgery. It sure was nice to have them back in action!

Kevin, Scott and Dad got the big fire in the former pond/landfill area started before lunch. The crew steadily added cedar branches to it throughout the afternoon.  

Our sister-in-law, LuAnn, created these adorable pretzel rod axes. It was her first experience with fondant, and these were a huge hit!.

Thanks, LuAnn! 

Scott's newest co-worker, Lauren, stopped by for a tour. She and her husband are remodeling an 100+-year old farmhouse in the Elkhorn area so she was inspired by Scott's design. Lauren surprised us with a horseshoe set which the kids immediately took a shine to. 

Thanks, Lauren!

Maybe those oversized marshmallows were a bad idea. Dad couldn't eat his s'more without making a mess!

Our beautiful friend, Megan, came all the way from Lincoln to join the fun.

She's the best! 

As promised, here's a picture of Bennett's new baby brother, Elliot. Sara, Kevin and the boys stayed and had fun all day ~ and everyone that needed some baby cuddle-time was rewarded.

A nature hike wouldn't be complete without a cute puppy! Luckily, Chelsie brought along Kiya who did a fine job as she walked along with Megan, Chelsie, and Sara (our nephew Joe's adorable girlfriend.) 

Hi, Joe! 

Yes, you are a very stylish lumberjack. Yes, your girlfriend is the cutest. Yes, I will pay you 25 cents per cedar tree harvested.

Here's our great niece, Allie! She is always full of smiles and silliness. 

 Here's Allie's little sister, Maggie! She is very excited to announce that she will be a big sister in April when Nick and Brooke's third baby is born. 

Congratulations!

My big brother, Mark, and his big son, Nick, did a great job of cutting down cedar trees. Sadly for them, Scott decided that he wanted to save all the trunks . . . so all the lumberjacks had to cut all the cedar branches off and haul them to the burn pile on the trailer.  

The reward for hauling cedars is a free ride on the trailer! This parade had a appreciative group of spectators. No word from the Safety Council on the wisdom of this stunt. 

Not to be outdone, Joe did his share of cutting, hauling, and parading. 

Hi, Meredith!

11-year-olds are awesome, aren't they? I was so excited to welcome Leigh Anne and Meredith back to noTTafarm. Most of the following photos were taken with my camera by Meredith. She and Allie ran all over the place taking interesting shots. 

Sitting by the fire was a good idea!

Most of the crowd took a break in mid-afternoon to watch football. Sadly, both the Huskers and the KSU Wildcats lost in heartbreaking style. 

 Scott kept the fire going for his dad, Carl.

 File this under:  "why didn't we think of this before?"

Scott hauled a bunch of gals around on the trailer. Next year, we will definitely pile on some hay bales! This was a fun little adventure.

"Go Faster!" cried Allie.

Allie, Brooke, LuAnn and Maggie were all smiles on the trailer ride. 

 Our photographers, Meredith and Allie.

My beautiful bestie, Marie. 

My beautiful bestie, Leigh Anne. 

 We got a good view of the action as the trailer rolled by.

Bennett and Kevin carved a jack o'lantern! 

We had dinner on the patio. Pulled pork, baked beans, mac and cheese . . . but the most popular item was Marita's pecan pie for dessert!

Thanks, Mama! 

The evening ended with just a smidge more fun, thanks to Nick and the wagon. 

"Go faster!" cried Allie.

That's a wrap!

We hope you can join us again in 2016. Until then . . .

Stay Tuned for Our Next Adventure!