Rooster in the Hen House

Turns out, we don't have four hens, but three hens and a rooster! Bethula Jo turned out to be a boy.

We've had our suspicions all along, but as Cliff was mowing the lawn on Monday night, he heard three distinct "cock-a-doodle-dos" coming from the coop. He knew instantly that Bethula's days were numbered.

In the city of Seattle, you can have up to eight hens; however, city ordinance does not allow for any roosters. That makes perfect sense considering they are LOUD and we have neighbors! "Bethula" was just beginning to find his voice, but he was pretty disruptive.

Not knowing exactly what to do with him, I called my chicken friend Sarah for her advice. When I couldn't get a hold of her, I called a local feed store. They've been so helpful all along in answering questions, I was sure they'd know what to do. The suggestions from the feed store were simple - eat him or find someone who will. Not wanting to butcher a chicken this week, I posted him on Craigslist and a couple picked him up on Wednesday morning.

Our flock is down to three. Blanche, Amelia, and Delaney are holding strong and are doing great. I am sad that Bethula isn't around anymore and I am definitely going to miss the beautiful eggs that Ameraucana chickens lay, but Cliff has assured me that I we can try for another Ameraucana hen next year.

Chicken Update

The chickens look a little different these days. They are getting so big! They have been out in their coop for over a month now and they are doing quite well. They love chasing each other to get the best worms or snag the best of the scraps we deliver to them. They're pretty entertaining to watch. I'll admit there have been a couple of nights where Cliff and I have gone out just to see them running around and interacting with each other.

Since they do look so different, I thought I'd share a few pictures of them so you can see their progress. We're excited for their first eggs, which should arrive towards the end of August or the beginning of September.

Living Garbage Disposals

Our four chickens are getting so big! It is hard to believe they were once the snugly little peepers that they were. I'm sure my parents say the same thing about me.

Having chickens has been even easier than we thought it would be, and we'd heard it was pretty easy. One of the things I love most about having chickens is the fact that they eat all of our table scraps. Just about anything we eat - they eat! Some of their favorites these days...cream cheese, edamame, carrot peels, and apple cores.

We've been very diligent about saving our compost to give to the chickens and not only does it benefit them to eat a variety of foods (their eggs will taste better), but it also reduces the amount of chicken feed they will eat.  I just love the idea of not wasting anything.

7 Years

June 12, 2004

Today, Cliff and I celebrate 7 years of marriage! In some ways, it feels like we've been together much longer. Sometimes it is hard to imagine life before knowing him. We met each other as juniors in high school and started dating at the end of our senior year. It is amazing how quickly time flies!

In other ways, it feels as though we've only just begun this journey of marriage. By God's grace, we hope to live a long life together. At community group yesterday, a good friend's mom and dad were there and they mentioned they'd just celebrated their 39th anniversary! It got me thinking about what it will be like to spend that many years loving one another and serving God together. It is exciting to think about.

I am overwhelmed today at the way we've both grown and changed by God's grace and work in our lives. I am immensely thankful for a husband who leads in repentance, pursues me, and desires to know me more than the day he married me. I do not question whether Cliff loves me, I know he does. What I'm thankful for is to know that Cliff loves Jesus more than he loves me.

Since Cliff is at church working all day on Sundays, we had our anniversary celebration on Friday night. We had a lovely meal at a local restaurant called Avalon, walked on Alki, grabbed Dairy Queen blizzards on the way home and watched True Grit. Tonight, on our actual anniversary, we're planning to pick up Thai take-out from our favorite Thai restaurant on the planet and watch our wedding video. It should be a good time!

Love to all of our friends and family who have spoken into our relationship, prayed for us, challenged us, and continue to walk this road with us.

New Niece!

On May 17, our family got a bit bigger. Auburn Mackenzie Luettel was born, and I instantly fell in love with her. My sweet sister and brother-in-law welcomed their beautiful daughter into the world near their home in Kansas. My mom and I got on a plane the day Katie was admitted to the hospital to be there as soon as we could. Amazingly after a long day of flights, we arrived at the hospital and actually saw Auburn on her birthday!

It was such an amazing blessing to be there with Katie, Brent, and Auburn. To care for them, snuggle that baby girl, and spend time with them. Truly, it was a precious week. Cliff and I are excited to head back to Kansas for ten days with them at the beginning of July. Cliff has only met his newest niece through Skype, so he's anxious to have some snuggle time with her.

Miss Auburn with her eyes open!

Snuggling with her daddy

She's already a Chiefs fan!