Max & Kaylee

...and for a handsome little boy (who is going to be 1-YEAR OLD (!) next week), who fills up our hearts with huge smiles and laughs.

I am linking up with Lindsay @ Aisle to Aloha today!

 There were SO many little poults running around.  The cardboard corrals are used in the first week, to keep the poults closer to the heat source (those silver spaceship-looking things), until they get big enough to not need as much proximity to the heat.  Then the cardboard comes out, and the poults occupy the entire turkey house.  They get fed a mixture of corn and soybeans, and drink water.  It was seriously so neat seeing the poults and learning more about turkey farming - it took me back to my NDSU days of studying Animal Science, and working with livestock - I miss being around animals and getting dirty :) 

This calf was adorable, and the setting was just lovely.

 Hey Little Man! (Yep, that's his name...)

Paul was telling us that whenever a mama cow goes off to have her baby, the pony is not far away.  And when she rejoins the herd (and the calf is working on getting up to also join the herd), the pony, Little Man, stands guard over the calf, until it has the strength and stamina to get up - so they always know when a new baby has come, because Little Man is off, hanging out on the outskirts of the herd, keeping watch over the new addition.

 L, with her Bibi and Babu.  And the camera she was obsessed with.

 Mix yeast and sugar with a little bit of warm water, and let sit 5 minutes.

 Realize you need more flour, when you go to scoop it out, so grab your massive Sam's Club bag of flour to re-fill.  Yes, I actually go through that big bag - I make so much from scratch, that I probably go through that bag in just about 2 months.  Crazy, I know...

 Mix flour with olive oil and salt. Then add your yeast mixture and stir it up!

Knead about a cup more flour into your bowl, until a dough begins to form.

 The dough!

 Cover bowl with wax paper, and a kitchen towel. 

 Let sit for an hour and a half - or until your dough has doubled in size.

 Punch your dough down, to release the air.  At this point, you can either let your dough sit for another half hour and then use it directly, or you can put it in the fridge until you are ready to use it!

 When you are ready to assemble your pizza, get out toppings, and pull dough out of fridge!

 Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan - this adds a nice crunch on the bottom of the crust!

 Patiently spread out your dough to form the crust - this can take some work and stretching.

 Spread ranch dressing all over crust.

 Sprinkle remaining ingredients on top - cooked chicken, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, and lots of delicious cheese!

 Pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes, and VOILA!  

Homemade Pizza Crust

1 pkg ActiveDry yeast

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 3/4 cups water, divided

4 cups flour

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

Mix yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup warm water, in small bowl.  Let sit for 5 minutes (will froth and puff up!).  In big mixing bowl, put flour, olive oil and salt.  Mix in 1 1/2 cup warm water.  Add yeast/sugar mixture to big bowl, and stir in until mixed.  Knead dough (adding up to a cup more of flour!), until dough forms.  Put it in bowl to raise, covering with wax paper and towel.  Let rise 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.  Punch the dough down, to release the air.  You can either use the dough at this point, or you can put in the fridge to use later in the day.  Just take out dough 30 minutes before stretching onto pan, to ensure it is pliable to work with!  This recipe makes 2 round pizzas or a big jellyroll-sized pizza, plus a little extra (I always make the kids a little pizza to eat, with the extra!)

Pizza toppings:

1 chicken breast, cooked and diced

1 tomato, diced

5 pieces (or more!) of bacon, cooked and crumbled

ranch dressing

3-4 cups cheese (I use mostly mozzarella, with some cheddar sprinkled on top)

Oil pizza pan.  Sprinkle a few tablespoons of cornmeal onto pan, then begin stretching out your dough to fit your pan.  Once your dough is fitting in the pan, spread ranch dressing on entire thing.  Then, layer chicken, bacon, tomatoes and end with your cheese.  Bake at 400º, for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden!  Let cool a few minutes, then cut it and enjoy!!

 "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

Who can tell me what movie that's from?!??!

I love my babes.

 Oh, the eyes.

His hand is looking so much better and is healing very nicely.  They instructed us to stop the bandaging (just as we were perfecting it!!!), and instead do lotion massages and bacitracin dabs.  He also has to wear a little glove during the day, to keep swelling down.  We have our exercises that we need to do everyday with him.  We will go back in a month for another follow-up.  Oh yeah, and they cut off his fingernail that had originally been bent up - which I was so glad about, cause that thing was grossing me out big time!!

 I think she needs a haircut, ha ha :)

"Look, mama, there's something stuck on my finger..."

Trying to get Lucy to play with her!