It's Been Awhile

 

It's been awhile.  Sometimes I'm ready to give up the blog, but right now it's the only record I have of what's going on in our lives. 

 

Maybe some day our kids will want to look back...

Or maybe they'll pray for amnesia.  It would be cheaper than therapy.

 

My daughter is a goofball. 

 

In March the farm hosted a hoof trimming class complete with cadaver cow hooves to practice on.  

Nothing like wandering into the shop and seeing a group hacking away at bovine feet.

 

 

You're fighting the urge to head for your pedicure tools, right?

 

 

Jokes aside, Kenton said it was one of the best meetings he's been to. 

 

 

Here's one reason my house is a wreck, the impossible to avoid permanent spring mudhole in the front walk.

 

It's a magnetic force field for kids.

 

 

We believe in planning ahead. 

We just don't do it. 

 

During the middle of Davis' birthday party, his dad decided to begin remodeling Megan's new room.

Seven kids (our 5 and 2 on loan were left semi-supervised while I ran to Cumberland to pick up new windows. 

 

We moved into Jamison's room, the boys moved in together to our old room, and Megan will be moving into Davis' old room, leaving the little girls to their own little girl messes.

 

 

Davis decorated his own cake(I'm delighted that they want to...but maybe they recognize it is the lesser of two evils.)

He demanded jellybeans and went with a barnyard theme.  I'm sure you recognize his inspiration as the view outside our front door, right?

 

Our family is just full of artistic talent.

 

 

He was pretty delighted with his new treasures.  That was a little surprising considering that a certain unidentified 12-YEAR-OLD can't keep a secret yet!

 

 

Jamison made him his very own trap.  It's his new specialty.  Unless something changes I expect that there will be a lot of these under the tree at Christmas.  Maybe someone wants to order one...or a dozen?

 

 

Isaiah and Levi came to help him celebrate.  I'm not sure what all they did...but it involved a lot of mud and running around in the pasture.

 

 

Kenton decided it would be easier to build within the existing walls of Megan's new room since there is currently no studding or insulation.  It did involve moving a radiator...

 

 

which involved some flames...but what's a few burn marks inside a closet?

 

 

Spring finally decided to show up here. 

 

 

By some special birthday miracle...the bulbs weren't washed away by our mud flow.

 

 

I'm getting complaints from the Mexico contingent who want to know what's going on at the farm. 

More holes, more drains toward the money manure pit.

 

 

These involved a ton of time and labor.  Don't you wish you'd been here, Den?

 

 

The previous pictures were both to the right of this one. 

Do you know where this is now, Den?

 

 

The government will help pay for this money manure pit BUT it has to be DONE before the check goes in the mail.  Done as in fencing up, grass growing, and road in.  The fence is now up so it's a little safer but still a ways from the check being in the mail.

RATS!

 

 

BECAUSE...

the farmer in the dell has been spending money.

He has bought:

a semi

a hopper trailer to go with the semi

a "new" pick up truck

a manure spreader

a manure pump

 

If this doesn't end soon...like NOW...I may feel entitled to a little antiquing...and a new piano...and some furniture...and a little landscaping.  I'm pretty sure I could do all that for just the price of a semi.  Don't you think?

 

Of course, his point of view is that his purchasing makes money and mine just spends it. 

 

 

Today we all enjoyed a little springtime together.

 

 

Kenton is in denial that his dumb dog is going to have puppies.

 

 

Kenton started a land-bound version of lumberjack log rolling.  It involved dad shaking the tree and kids falling off in all directions.

 

 

Emily was pretty happy making a pine needle pile and collecting what was vulgarly referred to as "pine tree poop".  The civilized among us use the term pinecones.

 

 

It was a beautiful spring day.

 

 

Kaitlyn didn't enjoy it as much as the others.  She was at Allison's for a slumber party last night and we walked a long way for a six-year-old.

 

 

I think the big kids must be part monkey. 

 

 

They came home covered in pine pitch.

 

 

I guess there are worse things, eh?

 

 

 

Happy days!