Egg collecting aprons (and a story of 3 little chicks)

I know this doesn't fall into my usual wedding/engagement/senior/family session-type blog post but, oh well... I toyed with the idea of starting a new blog just for family related things or my very deep thoughts on life, God, etc., but then I realized that my photography encompasses so much more than just the "paid" jobs.  It's the little, everyday, sometimes mundane things that are what makes our lives so full.  

Here is a very "everyday" sort of post about a little thing I made for the girls the other day (which ended up turning into an entire post about chickens from beginning until now) and we went and took some pics of them.  I wanted to share these images as they show two little girls love for their hens.  

When we decided to get chicks, we both knew full well that neither of us come from any remote type of farming background.  A great uncle of mine who had a dairy farm in northern Minnesota that we visited a few times growing up was about as close as we got.  The decision to purchase the chicks was kind of big deal we tossed around for well over a year before we actually went and bought them.  In other words- NOT a compulsive decision.  We have learned (the hard way) that compulsive decisions regarding cute and fluffy little animals is NEVER a good idea.

In the end, we obviously decided to get them (after MUCH research on my part) and here is what they looked like:

SOOOOOO cute and FLUFFYYYYYY!

Our kids (yes, even the teenagers) thought they were simply adorable- here they are at Easter:

Everyone LOVED them, that is until they grew out of that cute and fluffy stage, and their poop started to stink and they lost their fluff and grew actual feathers.  They got booted out of the house and into the shed and mom (that's me) got the job of making sure these awkward looking little partially feathered chicks made it to adulthood.  Alas, one did NOT make it, but I guess, in the world of chickens and chicks, that happens.  That really did not help our 8 year old in explaining why her chick was stiff as a board one morning.

Moving on....

Eventually they got big enough and "feathered" enough to move them outside (hallelujah), and we came up with a somewhat haphazard little coop for them.  As they got bigger, we quickly realized they would need something bigger/better and we eventually made them a coop out of chicken wire, pvc piping and an old cupboard.  They also quickly realized how to get out of it and we are still reinforcing it to this day.

The new question of the day then became, "When are the chickens going to start laying eggs, MOMMMMMMMM????" (this question had actually been floating around for awhile but I just chose to ignore it).  Well, the day FINALLY came about 2 weeks ago and we have been on a perpetual Easter Egg hunt ever since.  Hens do not lay their eggs in the nice little hutch you worked for 2 weeks on, OH NO!  They like to lay them anywhere but there- under the porch, hiding behind the ivy, next to the heat pump (?), and on and on.....

And then, one day, while pursuing Pinterest- I saw it... The "Egg-Collecting Apron".  Darn that Pinterest.  It just so happened I had an old dress of Calley's that had seen better days and was in the Donation box.  Fabric!- I say to myself, Upcycled fabric!- Even better, I say to myself, again.  (I talk to myself a little too much).  I also have a large ream of lace that I really have no idea where it came from so... voila!

As you can see in the pictures, their aprons can only hold 3 eggs at a time because we only have 3 laying hens and they don't all lay everyday.

Ellie with Hazel...

Calley with Amelia...

I really love this last image... it truly encompasses Ellianna and her loving heart for animals far and wide.

All in all, the decision to get chicks and raise them for eggs has been a very good decision- although there have been days (especially the days when they are laying and want the whole world to know).

For Ellianna in particular, this experience has been a very positive one for her.  She has taken on the job of caring for the chickens (and the bunnies) pretty much entirely herself.  I think she likes the quiet mornings with them, making sure they have food and water and finding their eggs.  It has brought out a new side of her and it has been very enjoyable watching her watch them grow and become laying little hens.  I know we can never have a "true" farm, but for now, we have our tiny little "backyard farm"- and I mean TINY.  These hens will follow her around like puppies and she also tries to train them to do all sorts of things.  I'm hoping she can train them to lay their eggs where they are supposed to... oh well, in the meantime... a-hunting we shall go.