I Hate Winter

We have had way too much snow and cold this week. 

We have spent many hours playing games and drinking hot chocolate...

All in hopes of staying warm and staying sane. 

Mostly hoping to stay sane. 

Not sure it's working. 

Day five cancelled this week. Why ruin a perfectly good snowcation with a single day of school this week?

John had his girlfriend over for a few hours yesterday. 

Did I mention he has a girlfriend?

His military ball date also became his homecoming date two weeks later. 

Now she's become his girlfriend. She's a nice girl. I approve. 

Grace and Grant had friends over to play today. 

I just hope the weather cooperates and we get a break. We don't need another week of snow days. 

Happy Friday!

Having a Ball

David and I are contenders for Parent of the Year.

We left John and Emily home while we took Grace and Grant to Disney for a week.

Parenting Points Awarded - 0

NOT ONLY did we leave them home while we went to play, 

we scheduled our trip during the week of John's ROTC Military Ball.

Parenting Points Awarded - 0

This is John's date, Riley.

Don't they make a great looking couple?

Some of the gang met at a friend's house before the evening gala began.

 

I appreciate Sharon opening her house to everyone and sharing pictures with us.

After all of the pictures were taken, it was off to the ball.

in a limousine we booked for them.

 

Yep.  They got to go in style!

You know how good ideas can sometimes spin out of control?

Well.

I was concerned because the dance was not over until midnight.  Grandma stayed with John and Emily while we were gone.  I did not want her to pick up John and take his date home so late at night.  The school is on the other side of Louisville from our house.

I don't know other parents from ROTC well enough to ask that kind of favor.  I considered many options but decided the kids might as well have a little fun since they missed the vacation to Florida. With David's blessing, I booked a limo.  I thought having another couple ride with John and Riley would be nice for everyone.  Soon plans grew and so did the size of the limo.  In the end we had several kids help with costs in order to enjoy the fun.

Parenting Points Awarded - 100

They had a great time.

And Emily got in on the fun too.   Since we had the limo all evening, the driver took Grandma, Emily and a friend out for dinner and a drive around town while waiting to take the party goers home later that evening.  

I'll let you know if we actually win Parent of the Year.

Cowgirl Grace

We found this on the clearance rack at Tractor Supply.....

We knew immediately that it belonged in Grace's room.

The sign on her bedroom door says it all.....

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 Sometimes the most heartfelt messages of love are not the ones sent on Valentine's Day.

Grace wrote this on the whiteboard in the office one evening.

Surprise!

Now that John and Emily are turning sixteen this summer, we need to get something they can drive.

Remember when John was looking at this truck?

We knew how much he liked it. 

So when the time was right a few weeks ago we bought him his own shiny blue vehicle.

I hope he likes it!

Not what he hoped for?  I don't understand his disappointment. 

Now he can help David mow and do hay. Maybe he can drive it to school during Ag Week. That would really impress his friends. 

Okay. Maybe not. 

Yes. We added this tractor to the fleet. So I think we now have four tractors. I'm guessing that is enough to make us real farmers. (I know we are paying real money for them!)

As for John and Emily, they will have to wait a little longer for a road worthy vehicle of their own.  A Ford Explorer circa 1996 might be in their future. That will thrill them. At least it is paid for already. That thrills me. 

Back to reality

Our Florida trip came to a safe end this weekend. It was a wonderful week enjoying the magic of disney. 

A thousand thank yous to grandma. The gift of your time and hard work are what made it possible. The dogs are missing their new buddy. 

Thank you to grandpa too for living the life of a bachelor while grandma tended the zoo. 

Yesterday and today have been back to reality. We have been busy at the farm. 

Saturday we set up our new maple syrup evaporator. 

Still more to do, but we are making progress. 

In the next few weeks we will put the new evaporator to the test. 

We sold the last of the baby goats from last year. 

That's good because Speckles and Oreo look like they are ready to give birth any day!  It looks like spring babies are coming a little early to the zoo.  

We also fertilized and pruned the orchard. 

And maybe we dug a hole in the yard using only a stick. 

I wonder who. 

Goodnight!

Homeward Bound!

We left a rainy Disney this morning to head north. 

Goodbye pool and warm weather. 

The zoo will miss you!

It has been a princess approved magical week. 

Disney - Again

Well today was day fifty nine at Disney. Or so it seemed. I think it was day four. 

We started bright and early. We caught up with a few of our favorite characters during breakfast. 

Soon it was off for a morning chasing dinosaurs in a time travel machine and enjoying an African Safari. We then returned to the hotel to swim and play. 

Dinner was spent enjoying etiquette faux pas such as yelling to other diners to pass the ketchup. 

Such inappropriate behavior was not only condoned but encouraged by our server. 

Later it was back to the Magic Kingdom to ride everything we could until the park closes for the night. 

As you can imagine we put two very tired kids in bed when we got back to the room. Don't think they'll have any problem sleeping tonight. 

In fact I won't either. 

Back at the zoo it sounds like Grandma has things under control. 

John is getting his plumber's license soon. David talked him through the process of relighting the water heater tonight. That seems to be the worst incident so far during our absence. 

That's pretty good!

And

John had a fun weekend while we were gone. 

More on that later though. 

It's time for bed now. Goodnight!

Sara, email me!  I tried to reply but got nothing!  We are around Wednesday. 

Goin' gangsta'

While in Florida I have been texting john and Emily frequently. 

I share pictures of the awesome time we are having on the rides. 

And Emily shares pictures of her awesome hair

And pictures of her awesome friend who did her awesome hair

As they show me pictures of their awesome Starbucks drinks. 

But the theme that has become prevalent throughout our photo texting fest has involved something sinister. 

We've turned gangster. 

Whatsup with dat?!

Yo!

Later dude!  Peace out. 

Or something like that. 

Goin on a trip

We went for a drive Friday. 

And stopped when we got to......

I'm a bit sad though because we had to leave a couple very important people behind in Kentucky. 

We did however find their picture at Epcot on the Legacy Walls. I think the picture was taken on a trip to Disney in 2004. 

John and Emily stayed home since a week absence could really put them behind in their studies. 

Grandma was so sweet to come stay with them. I hope she knows how much we appreciate her taking a full week to do this for us. 

So far the week has been lots of fun. 

Gotta go see Mickey now. Bye!