FARM DAY

Today was FARM DAY! If it isn't enough that we already live on a farm, we dedicated a whole day to FARMS today. It was actually quite the production, and I was very impressed, along with all the other first graders in my group.

We started out with a VERY, VERY noisy bus ride up to the fair grounds. Conner was SOOO excited to ride the bus. He boarded up and got a seat by the window, his favorite spot, and off we went!

They had several stations we went to visit, they all talked about something different from the pud and electrical safety to pigs, petting zoo's , and flower transferring. Our first stop was the fire trucks. the fireman was there to let the kids jump all over them and he let Conner put on his hat!

Our second stop, and a few others as well, were tractors! Conner loves tractors. This one was a hay baler. They taught the kids what good hay looked like verses bad hay, and what they used it for. Very informative I thought. The wheel on this tractor was huge! Conner had to get his picture!

And yes, Conner had to ride it too! Look at that satisfaction written all over his face! We could have stopped there, and he would have been satisfied, but we still had to watch the pud demonstrate a squirrel getting zapped! No photos, sorry.

Potato sack races were among the other stations we visited. We sampled potato chips, learned how they make em' and then off in the sacks we went. It was fun to see all the kids trying to do this.

After a visit with Les Schwab about tires, learning about miniature ponies, feeding cows, coloring, learning about dogs, listening to a story, and learning about gas pipe lines, we made our final stop to transplant a plant. It was really fun and the kids liked this station a lot.

We had so much fun at farm day and after a bus ride back and lunch, the kids were off back to school! Thanks to everyone who helped with this event, it was great.

KIDS

Today the kids played, and played, and played! they went over to grandmas and played all day in the dirt, yes the dirt. It is amazing how such a simple, dirty, brown ground cover can keep kids occupied for hours!, especially when you add water! I did not have my camera during this play time, and by the time I got ahold of it they were done, sorry next time.

The kids were so cute riding the four wheeler. Ava looks a little nervous, but those two really have a lot of fun!

We had a rather productive day today, busy. I got all my flowers planted, got the mulch layed down, finished the herb garden, hit a few garage sales,mowed the lawn( which takes me about 2 and a half hours, yes that long; not because I'm slow, it's a huge lawn!) cleaned the house, signed taylor up for preschool, watched a dog catch and kill a rock chuck( it's like a gofer, but bigger, kinda like my dog.) no i did not see this voluntarily; folded five baskets of laundry, and put them away- yeah for me, went to dinner and the Spanish branch festival, colored my hair, finished a craft, bathed the kids, and posted a blog!!!! whewwww! i should sleep well tonight. In fact poor little Presley was so tuckered out by the time we got home, she fell asleep on the floor!, too tired to even drink her milk, poor thing.

It feels so good to get things done around the house, getting ready to play all summer!

BIRTHDAY

So, i woke up this morning and was pleasantly surprised that Brandon remembered my birthday! He even went as far as to give me my birthday gift BEFORE nine p.m. I had seen these cute aprons online and was soooo excited when I opened it up and found one!

Brandon decided to throw me a barbecue with my playgroup pals, it was great. We had so much good food, and Brandon even managed to escape a small grill fire, yeah for him! He cooked me his famous shish-kabobs, yummy. He has this secret sauce he bastes them in and it's too die for. we also did grilled pineapple, congratulations korbi for tasting it, I'm so proud of you! we had some really yummy salads also. Katie was great and made my cake, which was a cheesecake, and it was DIVINE! I loved those little white chocolate chips, yum. Brandon also made homemade root beer, one of our summer favorites. After appetizers, food, and dessert, we managed to get ourselves to the couch for some pictures. might I say, we are a lovely bunch!

I really enjoyed my birthday, thanks to all who helped make it special. one year older, and wiser too? happy birthday to me!

FINALLY, HEAT!!!

This picture is worth a thousand words to me. This is exactly how I feel all winter long, until spring!!! I love spring and summer and fall! i know we have to have the winter, it's just a part of the whole process, but i love when it gets warm! And it feels like it has taken FOREVER to warm up, and then WHAM! one day its 90 degrees, crazy!

Presley decided today that she likes watermelon, which is good cause we basically live off of that and sweet corn on the cob, all summer long! yummy!

Summer brings sports and this year, for the first year ever, we are PLAYIN! Yeah for Conner. We are doing tball this year and brandon is the coach, yeah for dad! Conner likes it so far, its fun to see all the kids running around trying to learn the name of the game. this year we are focusing on not throwing the bat, running to first base, not third, and throwing the ball to first base after someone retrieves it. we gotta lot to learn, but kids are resilliant and fun and they just like to play.

Even Taylor likes to play!

Most of all I love Summer for relaxin! It's probably cause we get so tired from the heat, but there's nothing i love more than sun, swimming, and barbeque!!!! Brandon makes a great barbeque, and we love to just sit outside and eat. our yard swing has become one of our most favorite hot spots during the summer. We love to just sit and talk. We have a great view out here and it's so peacful to just sit and watch the kids play. Last summer i used the swing mainly to lay on in agony wishing someone would push me off and pop my nine month huge belly, so hopefully this summer I can enjoy it more! Chasing the toddler right? Hope the summer lasts as long as it's taken to finally get here!

CALLING ALL FLOWER GIRLS!

Ok there has to be somebody out there willing to help me in my time of desperation. As many of you know i'm in a rental home right now, so my alterations are limited on my part, and limited because i'm not the homeowner. it's so hard to invest time and money into something that you'll have to leave behind, but i like to make it comfortable for my taste as well, as much that's allowable, legally. so the yard is big and green, most of it, and there are some nice trees and shrubs surrounding the house, but no flowers!!! there is some ground cover that was suppose to come up, but has yet to make its debue, but nothing else. there are these two trouble spots I'd like to invest in, reasonably, and get something planted, but what? yes, that's where the girls come in. i need someone who is knowledgeable in what to put next to what, and what will last, and what will look good. i tend to stick with hostas and pots, but i really wanna get something different in. Anyone who is willing to go to the store with me and help me pick stuff out, and then tell me where to plant it would be such a big help. I would be so happy to just show up with the cash and maybe buy a few drinks or something. I know this is a lot to ask, but I'm just not a flower planter, i love flowers, I just don't know what to put where. That is why I'm taking the initiative to delegate this great task to someone who can do it better than i. So, if you feel sorry for my sappy green yard, next to my green house, let me know if ya wanna help! happy planting!

PRITTY IN PINK?

So, just when you think you've instilled all the precious values in your children, WHAM! you capture a photo like this. Brandon was begging me not to, as he was demanding conner de suit from the fairy costume, but really i couldn't help myself. I should have known he was up to something, taylor had hannah over to play and they were being so cute, playing in the princess tent in their gowns. Conner wanted someone to play with to, so I assured him it was o.k. to go play with the girls, painless really right? In my defense, i didn't know he would take me literally! I tried to explain to him he was suppose to be the fiery dragon that locked the princess in the tower, but he said that was too scary, little did he know the tutu he was sporting was just as scary. His little escapade ended shorty after his father saw him, but i got some photos just for kicks!

Just a shout out to all my friends, i want you all to know how grateful i am to have you. I have had an experiance of a lifetime here in moses, with so many people i feel so close to. i love all of you and i look forward to many years of friendship. it truly does make life complete to have friends. my favorite quote on friends "truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget." so many good memories i'll always have. and hopefully yall will have some of me! some of you are probably scarred for life with my little secrets, but atleast we laugh, right. to the grave ladies!

ITS WHAT'S FOR DINNER

SO LATELY I'VE BEEN REALLY SICK OF WHAT I'VE BEEN EATING LATELY, I'M IN DIRE NEED OF NEW RECIPES! I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO A RECIPE BLOG, BUT SOMETIME SOON I'LL GET IT DONE. I FOUND THIS RECIPE ON THE BAG OF BISCUITS I BOUGHT, WELL BRANDON BOUGHT. I USUALLY MAKE MY OWN, BUT I'VE BEEN LAZY LATELY, SO HE BOUGHT SOME, SHAME ON ME. ANYWAY, THIS RECIPE WAS SOOOO EASY, AND SUPER FAST. I WAS DEFINATLY IMPRESSED. IT WAS PRITTY GOOD TASTIN TOO. SO FOR ALL YOU QUICK COOKERS, OR A NIGHT WHEN YOU GOTTA GET SOMETHIN ON FAST, TRY THIS!

QUICK CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

2 CANS PROGRESSO RICH AND HEARTY CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP
1 CAN PILLSBURRY REFRIGERATED BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

CHOPPED PARSLE, IF DESIRED

1. IN 10-INCH SKILLET, HEAT SOUP OVER MEDIUM HEAT, STIRRING OCCASIONALY, UNTIL BUBBLY.

2. SEPERATED DOUGH INTO 10 BISCUITS; CUT EACH INTO QUARTERS. PLACE BISCUIT QUARTERS ON TOP OF HOT SOUP. SIMMER UNCOVERED 10 MINUTES.

3. COVER; SIMMER AN ADDITIONAL 8 TO 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL BISCUITS ARE NO LONGER DOUGHY.
SPRINKLE WITH PARSLEY

I MADE THE MISTAKE OF OVERCOOKING MINE, THE BISCUITS DON'T GET BROWN, AND THEY ARE REALLY SOFT WHEN YOU POKE THEM WITH A FORK, SO TASTE ONE TO TELL IF THEY ARE DONE, OTHERWISE THE SOUP STICKS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN AND BURNS. IT WAS STILL YUMMY THOUGH!