Reflections...

This picture was taken about this same time last year.  The kids have grown quite a bit since then.  One has become a teenager and has grown 3 inches in that year.  Funny how time just seems to fly.  

This next week all the fall activities begin.  We will be off to dance class, piano, violin, 4H, wrestling, and scouts on various days of the week.  I am praying I didn't schedule things on the same day and time.  It will be a busy year for everyone.  I look back and it seems as if our oldest was just starting cub scouts last week.  Soon he will be driving and dare I say it .... dating nope not going to say it, you can't make me.

We started school two weeks ago, and already I can see how they have grown.  What magical powers does the summer sun have on them?  Suddenly they know so much, it really amazes me.

I hope in this year I can grow even half as much as they will (and not in pant sizes). *reminded that there is ice cream in the freezer....hmmmm*   They teach me more than they will ever know about life and living it.  They each have dreams.  We are just doing our best to help them find that path that will lead them to the land of dreams come true.  

I know I can be an example to them about dreams coming true... I have Rodi and I have them, each and every one a dream turned into a reality. 

From Sunrise to Sunset and Then Some

Today was long and busy!

Carley J started the day off right as she showed her talent in the kitchen and turned these few ingredients...

into this scrumptious little loaf of goodness...

 

While her loaf was baking the rest of us were outside working on a project that I have been anxious to finish...

Next on the list for the front of the house is a bench in the wide open area to the left of the porch (your left) and some much needed paint on the porch and railing.

While we were busy with the mulch the horses got busy mowing the neglected round pen area....

Before

After

I'm telling you these two are just about the best lawn service in town!

Guess who showed up at our place today?

THE CHICKENS!!!!  Only 4, I had hoped for 6.  

Bertie Mae was hoping for a quiet Saturday

I think she was peeking out to see if we had all gone back indoors yet.  

Sorry Bertie Mae, there was still fun to be had,

Creatures to play with, and...

Tractors to ride!

Today started early and ended well after sunset.  It was busy and hard at times, but well worth it.

You can't take me anywhere...

My loving husband has given me the most wonderful summer.  He has been very successful in setting aside Friday nights as date night for the two of us.  It has been one of the best parts of summer for me.   Once a week I put on something nice, wear shoes that haven't seen the inside of the barn and spray on a spritz of smelly water in the fancy bottle.  I even experiment a bit with the eyeshadow and blush. We are talking complete sophistication here.


Tonights dinner was a disaster... that is another story all together.  Some people just don't have the skills to wait tables.  *note to readers in search of a job waiting tables.... do not make customers wait anywhere even close to 30 minutes before you approach their table for the first time.  It really isn't going to get you very far in the land of tips*  Not wanting to stay at that particular restaurant for dessert we decided to leave and stop by 7-11 for a Slurpee.  What sophisticated night out doesn't include a Slurpee?  


Just how hard is it to use the slurpee machine?  Apparently pretty darn hard!  Any bit of sophistication I had was out the door when it came to this cherry slurpee.  First I reached in front of this guy to grab the wrong lid for my cup.  I didn't want to reach in front of him being civilized and all. He was talking on his phone and had been hovering over the lids for quite some time, what choice did I have?  After realizing I was holding the wrong sized lid I had to reach in again.... how embarrassing.  He was now setting up his three cups getting ready to fill them all.  Not wanting to keep the hubby waiting I quickly filled my cup before Mr. Cell Phone started filling his 3 cups.  I set my cup down to grab a straw and when I turned around...... THE SLURPEE MONSTER was trying to escape from my cup!  The cherry slupree was growing and growing.  It had pushed the lid off of my cup and was starting to come down the sides.  The man chuckled at my unfortunate state of being and began to fill his cups while I sat there staring at my mess wondering what I was going to do.  As suave and sophisticated as I could I put the straw in and began to inhale my frozen cherry mess.  As I took a moment to relieve my brain freeze I looked over at Mr. Cell Phone and to my delight.... he had THREE Slurpee monsters of his own!!!  I wanted to laugh out loud but that wouldn't have been suave or sophisticated now would it?  I grabbed some napkins, wiped my cup off, and proceeded with my head held high to the register, hoping they wouldn't charge me for two.  


Later as we were driving down the road something happened (don't ask me what, because I have no clue) and I ended up with Slurpee on my shirt.  Rodi (David) then informed me I was no longer allowed to get Slurpees.  I think he may be right.  If anything I shouldn't be allowed to fill my Slurpee cup without adult supervision.


*a good blogger would have snapped a photo of the Slurpee  monster with their camera phone*

Cluck-Cluck-A-Doodle-TOO!

That's right folks day two of building the chicken castle has come to a glorious end!

We called in some girl power to help steady the post while "the project manager" pounded away. 

"The project manager" and I showed our skills (this is seriously questionable) with the fencing tool to attach the cattle panels to the posts.  At one point my phone rang, instinctively I answered it, the cattle panel fell..... on top of poor unsuspecting Koen.  My precious 5yr old squashed because his mom answered the phone.  It doesn't even make it any better knowing that the call was from his dad.  

Moving the coop...AGAIN.

Voila, the finished project!

(with the real chickens where they belong... inside the coop *smile*)

Cluck-Cluck-A-Doodle-Doo

3-2-1.... We are almost ready for the chickens to arrive.  We have the coop, it just needs to be cleaned up a bit for it's new residents.  The last tenants left the place a little on the messy side.  


What we are missing is that fenced in yard.  Chickens can be so picky when looking for housing.  They want lots and lots of yard area with luxury items like grass and bugs of various shapes and sizes, and they want security too!  Guess they don't mind living in the same neighborhood as the Hawk family, or the Raccoon family, they just don't want the neighbors coming over for visits.  I can't say I blame them for wanting to have some privacy when it comes to the Copperheads down the lane though, I am not a big fan of that family either.  Still putting in this "security system" is a lot of hard work.  I don't see them volunteering to help put it in either!  Sure hope they don't complain that the posts aren't exactly all lined up.  Our farm manager and I tried our best today but straight lines just aren't our thing. It adds some character to the new digs... at least that is what we can tell the new family of chickens.  Of course they are a bunch hens so I am sure they will talk amongst themselves about our "handy-work".


We snapped a couple of pictures today while driving in the posts.  For some reason the pictures make it look a lot easier than it really was.  Excuse my apparel I was still in my running attire.  Today was a day full of exercise for me and KC.  We both ran this morning and then built the chicken fortress.  I think our shoulders will hurt more tomorrow than our legs though.  At least mine will.  KC's shoulders are still young and work like they should.

  

I should mention that we will be putting chicken wire around the bottom of these cattle panels.  Just thought I would mention that for all of those readers who were looking at the cattle panels thinking.... That will never keep the chickens in or the neighbors out. *Smile*  

What's Going on in there?

Such a sweet looking lil' fella...

Isn't he cute taking his nap and looking all innocent?

I think under all that cuteness there is a bit of a rebel.  Could it be he had something to do with the barn brawl that caused this to happen?

As you can see some of us are not that impressed.  Can you read his mind.... "this is not going to be fun to fix" at least that is the thought I got when I read his mind.  Moms can do that you know.

The Before Pictures

Posting pictures might help us get moving and grooving on a few of the items on our "to-do list" 

Here is Rosebud (and the backside of Bertie Mae) before the cutting of the pasture

The chickens are coming, the chickens are coming!  The coop needs to be cleaned out and a movable fenced in area needs to be made so the chickens can peck and scratch their way across the yard.

Bad Hair Day

This is Gypsy having a bad hair day.  She and I have these days quite often.  Still, she can manage to take a good picture, even on a bad hair day.  I wish I could be so lucky.