Summer

Going Places

 

Flying Kites

 

Without Any Wind

 

 

 

 

 

Staining the Deck/Bridge/Swingset

 

 

How is your summer going?

 

Ours is going waaay too fast!

Pony Tales Farm

 

Grant getting a ride at PonyTales Farm.

This was his kindergarten field trip the last week of school.

 



 

 

He was much more interested in the kittens than ponies, puppies or goats.

"But WHY can't we take one home, Mom????!!!!!"

I must have heard that a dozen times in two hours.



Has he counted the number of animals living in our house already?

Obviously not or he would not ask for another.

 

The funniest thing they did that day was dress up this poor little pony.

She had a tutu, a tiara, hair extensions, pink dyed hair, glitter and pink "toenail polish" before the kids were done with her.

It was cute, but I felt a bit sorry for the pony.

 

I still have to remind myself that I am really going to have all kids in school all day this fall.

Eight short weeks away!!

 

Wow.



Win Some - Lose Some

 The wins and losses are about even this spring and summer.



We thought we were winning the war when it came to getting the pond full this spring.  Here it was only a foot or so below the overflow.  Sadly, it has gone back down to where it hovered last year.  We definitely have a leak we are going to have to deal with. 

Also, we lost one of the hives you can see in the background.  It looks like something got in and ate all of the bees in one hive....not a dead bee in sight!

I am going to pick up our two new hives Friday.  Happily for the bee guy and for us, I talked to him and he has an extra he can sell me so we can replace the one we lost this spring....WIN!

 

 

 

 

Another loss for the pond has been ducks.

Our ducks had gotten in the habit of waddling through the weeds to visit our friend who lives on our property.  He was good to feed them and they were regular visitors at his trailer near the pond.

When David cut the hay around the pond it left ducks exposed as they walked to the trailer for their nightly treats.

 

Mr. Hawk dive bombed our ducks.

Not good for ducks.

 

 

 

So

 

 

say hello to "Ducks 3rd Gen"

 

 

We found a local couple who raises ducks, goats, chickens, turkeys, horses and lots of other stuff to sell.

 

 

We wisely chose to focus on the ducks.

 

I'll save adding more varieties of livestock for another day.

The one surviving duck was very glad to see his new buddies.

Let's hope they survive better than the last few have.

Let's hope too that Mr. Hawk has had his fill of duck hunting for a while.

 

 

In other pond news....

say hello to the newest pond residents.

 

Baby Bass

 

 

We now have bass, catfish and bluegill as recommended by the local Fish and Wildlife guys.

You are invited to come fish

 

 

in 2015!!!!

 

 

In other winning news, we finally got the barn painted.  I will post before and after pictures soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of wins and losses...

Grant had his last baseball game last night.

 

 

His team lost in the first round of the tournament.

 

Honestly, I am not even a little bit sad at that development.

Grant wasn't sad either.

 

In fact he was downright giddy when he found out we get to eat ice cream after the last game of the season.

He and the ice cream were both smiling.

 

 

John's tournament doesn't start until July 2.

Wonder when we get to eat ice cream to celebrate the end of his season?

 

I guess it all depends on the wins and losses!

 

Goodnight!

Father's Day Farm Fun

Though it looks like hooligans have strung graffiti across our garage wall

 

 

it is really the handiwork of Grace and Grant with their sidewalk chalk.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the car crash that Grant drew with fire coming from the engines.

 

 

We finished weeding the garden on Father's day.

The corn looks better now since we put down fertilizer that day.

 

Everything seems to be growing well this year with the exception of the potatoes.

It has been too cool and wet I think.

 

Actually, I don't really know what is wrong with darned potatoes.  I just like to pretend I know what is going on with the garden.

 

 

 

I pruned the trees in the orchard.

There is a fair amount of apples and peaches on the trees.

No pears.

 

 

Taking a break.  I don't know why she was sucking her thumb.

Sometimes I don't ask.  It's better that way.

 

 

Frogs - half dressed boys - pouring rain

 

what could possible make this day more fun?

Snakes of course!!!

 

 

 

 

Emily spent a good part of the afternoon making a flower chain from clover flowers.

 

John?

He and David spent some time with David's Father's Day present.

 

A moving target thingy.

 

Ready - Aim - Fire!

 

 

 

And a good time was had by all.

 

The end.

 

 

 

Happy Belated Father's Day to all of the men in my life.

Thank you for being such great role models.

Time Flies

I can't believe I have been three weeks without posting. 

David keeps asking me each night, "Have you posted yet?"   

(no guilt there, right?)

Each day I tell him NO and silently renew my vow  to post before one more day flies past.

HA!  Not happened! 

The kids have been out of school almost three weeks.  What has happened since I last put up a real post?

Well,......

these two

 

are no longer middle school students.

No longer Hilltoppers, they are now Bulldogs.

 

Go Dogs!!

 

It seems like yesterday they donned caps and gowns

 

 

 

and marched in innocence and excitement across a church stage to receive a kindergarten diploma.

 

 

 

This time the class was much larger, the ceremony much longer and the emotions much more intense as they marched across another stage to receive an eighth grade certificate of promotion.

 

 

Yes, I know the next four years hold many exciting milestones and achievements for these two.

We as their family look forward to walking those steps alongside them and celebrating each accomplishment....driver's licenses, diplomas, first dates.....

Some of those milestones might be reached a little sooner than we anticipated.

John not only managed to leave middle school with many memories, friends and accomplishments.

 

It seems he left middle school with a girlfriend.

Say hello to Jordan.

 

She's a sweet girl who pitches a mean softball and likes my son an awful lot right now.

That makes her pretty okay in my book.

 

We have spent more than a few hours together on bleachers that are less than comfortable in temperatures less than desirable to watch someone we both care a lot about play baseball.

 

No official first dates for these two.  I hope that milestone lies somewhere off in the distant future for them.  Why hurry?

 

 

Emily is taking a more deliberate, planned out approach to the dating scene.  She is making many friends that will last a lifetime and choosing carefully who will win her heart as a first love.

Wise choice, Emily.

 

Very Wise.

 

 

Thank you to grandparents for making the long trek to the 'Ville to celebrate these special times with your grandkids.  The day was made more special by sharing it with you. 

 

You definitely got your money's worth out of the trip with multiple ballgames, graduations and awards programs. Thanks for your never ending patience and long-suffering enthusiasm for the many events we dragged you to in such a short time.

 

More updating later...

I am off to bed.

 

 

 

 

Questions....

 

Grace brought this piece of paper home from church last Sunday.  Her class was asked to write down three things they would like to learn about at church.  These were her three things.

 

Sometimes the questions from my kids astound me.  Not that there is much theological substance to her inquiries.  I just don't remember pondering such things.  I still don't ponder such things.

 

The most pressing questions on my mind most days revolve around the possibility that I have forgotten to pick up a child at some pre-agreed upon place and time or where I last had my now necessary reading glasses that I can never seem to find when I need them.

 

 

 

Life is spinning out of control....six ballgames last week.....two birthday parties to host (belated, mind you) in two weeks....one graduation for two kids......three graduation parties for friends......two field trips to end the school year to chaperone......one fire truck to ride.....four dental appointments in one day.....four eye exams later the same day......one bridge, one swingset and one deck needing stained.....one shift working concession stand......one garden full of weeds.....four kids home for the summer.....

 

you get the idea.

 

 

 

I will get back to blogging.............soon.

 

 

I hope.

 

Now, where ARE those reading glasses?!



May Showers Bring.....?

So once April showers are through and the calendar shows May

 

 

what is a kid supposed to do with all of the continued rain?

 

 

 

 

 

Pick flowers of course.

 

 

 

Grant cannot resist the urge to pick anything blooming.

No matter what it is or where it is.

 

 

I have to continually remind him not to pick the neighbors' flowers.

Not a good way to make and keep friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of graduations going on here.

That means lots of graduation presents need to be bought.

 

This graduate was easy to buy for.

 

 

 

 

Here is his graduation gift.

 

In theory it is easy.

Place the penguins on the ship without tipping it over and knocking them off.

 

 

In reality it is not that easy.

Dare I say it can be addictive trying to get these little guys all aboard at the same time.

I think we have all tried and failed more times than we care to admit.

 

 

Want to try?