What We've Been Up To....

Jamison had a progressive birthday....

One day he got presents....a few days later we had cake.

Some weeks are just like that.

We had Den and Machelle and their partners, Terry and Renee for supper.

We hear so much about Terry and Renee that it was fun to meet them in person again and get to know them a little better.

The big kids came home from choral camp.  Jamison is half hidden behind the cutie with pigtails and Davis is right above the big head.

Megan is under the armpit.

The big kids had a good time at camp.  Davis was disgusted.  Megan and Jamison reported that Lucky Charms were to be had for breakfast and cotton candy at the fair.  Apparently this was the year they didn't have Lucky Charms or cotton candy.  Davis IS NOT going back!  But Kevin promised that he would tell the director that they needed to reinstate these.  Davis MIGHT consider gracing them with his presence after all.

We have a guest from Ecuador.  Melissa Molina is visiting us for the week.  Her mom was a foreign exchange student of my parents years ago.

The black and white show was this week.

Jamison, Megan, and Davis all did well in showing.  Dad was so pleased!

Melissa pitched in with washing cows and showed this one.  The cow won several ribbons.

Davis and another boy weren't technically old enough to show in the "showing" class so they did a special class just for them.

Megan had her delayed birthday party.  She wanted to wait until Brooke could be there.

The girls did sharpie tie-dye t-shirts.

Carl combined the last of the barley.

Melissa rode along.

The old free-stall barn is getting extended.

The white wall will be torn down and the new barn will be 100 x 85 (I think).  Since we began milking in the parlor the herd has grown faster than expected.  We desperately need more room.

That's all folks.

Published

Molecular Characterization of Tick Salivary Gland Glutaminyl Cyclase

Steve got another article published.  

I haven't read it yet.

Like the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz....

"if I only had a brain..."

Genetic Testing

I guess it's been awhile since I posted. 

And this one falls into the category of family diary rather than a post. 

Sorry.

Emily's pediatric cardiologist called today.  The genetic testing they did for the Long QT came back.  There is no sign of it in the 12 genes they checked.  There is still a 35% chance that it was a false negative...but the cardiologist (and  we agree) suspects she doesn't have it.  They are still treating her for it anyway.   The words "variant of undetermined - or was it unknown - origin" were used and somewhere in this house is the piece of paper with the explanation of that.  Ten years down the road they may recheck everything to see if anything has popped up but for now we'll keep proceeding on the same path.  

Emily has been vomit-free for 80 days!

The three originals are at choral camp this week.  It's Davis' first time.  I was a little nervous and he was, too.  Since he hasn't called I'm assuming that no news is good news.  There were tons of kids from here who went out-and half appeared to be cousins which should help-I'm hoping he has a wonderful time.  Jamison is rooming with cousin Dawson and "...Jamie...or Josiah...or James....yeah, I think it's James."  (Boys!  Ya gotta love 'em. )  Megan is with cousins Krista and Kristen and friend Emma.  

Here Davis is with his roommates, cousins Gregory and Joel, and a couple of counselors. 

  

That leaves us alone with the Chinese contingent.  It will be interesting to see how this week goes.  It WAS a MUCH quieter house than we're used to having but Emily is doing her best to make up for the decibel level of the other three.   The little girls have also decided that we shouldn't wait until 7:00 to get up...6:15-6:30 is much better.  I'm thinking that muzzles should be part of their bedtime routine.

Cousins, Cousins Everywhere...

 My kids are blessed with lots of cousins.

Dennis and Machelle and their four girls are staying with Grandpa and Grandma.

My kids waited and waited for them to come "home".

Kevin and Lydia came for the family reunion last weekend from Indiana.  They came back this weekend for a reunion on the other side.  We were blessed to get Alena and Gregory for the week in between.  

Emily has been well for 69 DAYS!

We are hoping this trend continues for a long time.

Pepper

 It was a rough morning.  Our dog was hit by a car last night and died. 

It's only been two years since Sam died and Pepper joined the farm.

I knew Davis was going to take it the hardest.

Just the other day he found "How to draw a dog" and drew this picture FOR Pepper.

In the most comforting of gestures, the Carrington crew brought the kids a 

a little stuffed black lab puppy.  

Davis and Megan spent the morning hugging it.  And crying.  

Even the non-dog-lovers shed a few tears.

Looks like we'll be prime target for anyone looking to sell a black lab puppy...

IN AUGUST!  

Once we're back from Minnesota.

Twenty Years

It's been twenty years since we said "I do."  

Go ahead, have a laugh on me.  

The timing wasn't right for a lengthy getaway so we went

biking on the C&O canal trail.

Since my kids have done hardly anything except bicker since we finished school

 for the year, it was a relief to spend the day with...

Did you know turtles don't bicker, talk back, or snip at their siblings all the live-long day?

I digress.

The trail included a canal,

the Potomac River,

and the paw paw tunnel.

which is a 3,118 feet long canal tunnel - quite creepy, without any lighting, a drippy ceiling, and an uneven path.

(I swiped this pic from google.)

See that light waaaaaaaaaay at the far end?   It stays that size for a long time.

After arriving at the other side we turned right around and walked back again to scarf our lunch. 

We ate subs we picked up at Davis' favorite bistro - Rick's gas station.

Quite the romantics, eh?

Kenton's highlight of the day was our stop at this former aqueduct.  

Did you know this was an aqueduct?

I didn't.

Kenton did.

To quote the farmer in the dell,

"It may have taken 20 years, but I was right once!"

He's got the map to prove it.  

Here's to another twenty, babe!

Emily is THREE

Emily had a birthday.  It was so much fun to see her joy and excitement over her "bipdy".

Such a contrast from the pictures we have of her last year at the orphanage.

 Do you think she had fun?