Saturday Catch Up...

Today is a beautiful day!

The pictures were taken of our back yard this morning...

This garden is so much fun,  it is where I'm spending much of my time these days! I could go on and on with it and even though we have made it bigger every year so far I still have to crowd it all up by the time everything is planted! I want it to be even bigger in the near future...:)

The yard is green and getting mowed twice a week again. I have a hard time letting my big boys help with the mowing and yard work because I like so much to do it, but I do want to sub some more out to them this summer.

This morning my big boys are not home. They went with my dad to Potter County!! Turkey hunting and fishing! They were so excited!! I'm not sure who is having more fun my dad or the boys!?? Allen drove a van up last evening, Sam, Marilyn and boys went along to. This morning bright and early we got this picture through text from dad...!!!

It's Jordan with a Jake turkey! Four inch beard...:) He was sitting with dad in his shany when three turkeys came out into the field, after some calling they came a bit closer and POW dad had a perfect shot!...:) I can't wait to hear what Jordan has to say about it!...:) Justin opted to sleep in since it was midnight before they were settled in last night!

It makes for an empty feeling here today! My boys are normally so busy around here! They have had our inflatable kiddie pool out the past afternoons, they set it up along with some bases to play wiffle ball using the pool as home base!! It was ice cold on a few chilly evenings and the Little's came in shivering and running for a hot shower!...:)

Dave and I did get a run in this morning early. We went four miles, faster then most runs. When we got back Jenika was making pancakes!...:) (she is really good at it!) She said she saw my bed was made and she figured I was running! I guess she just knows by now that if I'm not here in the morning when she wakes that means I'm running and will be back soon, she can always call me...:) I did miss her brothers though! I just figured they would still be asleep when we get back.

I found with the big boys that it really does pay off to let them explore the kitchen at an early age! My Little's already know how to make oatmeal, pancakes, heat up soup and more, they get a real kick out of being able to do it all alone! I come to really appreciate it some days and I found it really sparks an interest for creating food in the kitchen!

Sending Jordan off for a few days still makes me a bit anxious with his allergies and having to send his food along. I usually wonder if I forgot something important? I go over his box of stuff over and over...:}

 It goes fine and most times there is no need for worry as he is great at taking care of himself, but I was still kind of giving sis Marilyn some instructions weather she wanted them or not...:) I will post more pictures of their mountain trip next week sometime.

Track and Field was this past week... I invited sis Kath and her kiddos along since she had been wanting to hang out with us again anyway. The kids had so much fun with her and her kids being there watching the competitions...:)

High Jump...

Softball throws...

Justin did lots of helping with the measurements and timing... Here he is taking a break on my chair with his favorite Little person...

I'm not sure what it is but these two have a cute connection! Austin just loves Justin! I took two pictures before this one and Austin had his eyes squinted closed! I told him "make your eyes stay open" This is what we got!... Are his eyes not the most darling you ever saw!??

Javon sure enjoys him to...

Cousin Love...:)

Dave is at the shop today, the boys are at the mountains, the Little's have been at the barn for the past few hours! It takes some time to get adjusted to summertime and the fun cousins next door! I never know if I should let them go play with the goats at the barn because then they end up in Marilyn's house! We normally need to go over the guildlines a few times and then they adjust after a few weeks...

I'm preparing for a pizza party here this evening with some of Dave's investor friends. It was planned to play "Cash flow" here with some of these investor friends and I'm not even sure how many wives are coming along but when he told me about his plans for this evening I said I'm sure the wives don't want to stay home alone while their husbands go to play "Cash flow"!  I think he invited them along then.?


We have a load of mulch yet that needs put away today and working on the wood chips is a never ending project to! I'm off to check my Little's and get to work as I get some sun outdoors!... This is my kind of day!! I feel so BLESSED! I told Dave this morning how I just want to freeze this stage of my life right now! I have found an independence that I forgot existed! I'm back to long peaceful showers and hours spent quietly alone in devotions! Going out the door to go places with peace of mind that I stayed calm and things went smoothly... Everybody put on there own shoes and there is no need to carry a bag for anything! I go out without the feeling that I almost lost my mind getting this outing accomplished! Everybody does there own hair, baths and dresses themselves!! Years were spent thinking these days will never come!!

They came quickly! Now that I have more independence I would have thought things would slow down more,  but life is still so ever busy,  just in a different way! Enjoying the journey is key and also "Gratefulness" for health and the many other blessing that God blesses us with everyday that we so easily can take for granted!!

I do not want to rush through the stories and bedtime prayers at night just because I'm beyond exhausted! I do not want to miss any of these fun stages with my kids, I want to realize "God Gives and God Takes" I want to treasure everyday that God allows me to be a mother and not do it with regret in the end! Now that I have entered the next stage of this mothering journey I find myself thinking of some "If Only's" If only had known this back then... I would have done things so much different and I even regret the fact that I used to like to sleep in so much! Now I see all that I missed with watching the sun rise in the morning! God just seems so close to me early in the morning at the beginning of a new day, with the smell of the fresh morning air in my lungs! Even if I'm not able to run in the mornings like I like to, I still like to get a breath of that fresh morning air!

Morning runs will hopefully be happening again soon...:)


Tomorrow is "Mother Day"... Being a mother is an honor and I am so thankful for the "FOUR BLESSINGS" that God has ENTRUSTED to us!! I want to do an update on each of them soon... Time is getting away and they are all growing up so fast!!

Have a Blessed Saturday...