Family Work Day - Take 2

We had our second family work day this past weekend, at my brother's house.  It was a beautiful day, thank goodness, because we were working on several projects outside.  Matt and Allison were in the process of redoing their back deck and pool deck, new landscaping around the property, and the pond needed cleaned out and treated (that was the super fun project, lol)!  Matt was super organized, so when we got there, we all knew where to work and what to do.  Andy was on pond duty with Eric and Evan, I was with Mom and Stacey on landscaping, and the boys were on "play" duty with all their cousins!

 Eric, working hard cutting down all the grass and reeds.

 Stacey and I got a super fabulous job, after we finished planting flowers.  We got to rake algae off of the top of the pond...good times, lol!  It wasn't a hard job, and it was such a pretty day, so really not bad at all!

 Dad and Jason working hard.

 Ed and Allison working on landscaping!

Seems like everybody worked on the deck at one point or another!  Taylor and Ed, working hard!

The kids had so much fun all day, jumping on the trampoline and swimming in the pool.  After the guys got the top deck finished, they put the slide back on, and then the fun really started!  The slide is from our pool, when we were growing up, so only about 30 years old...more on the slide, at the end of the post!

The finished product!  It all turned out SO nice, thanks to lots of hard workers!  Work is not always the most fun, but when you have lots of helpers it makes it go fast!

So, remember the slide I was telling you about?  Kyran felt like he was invincible and sure didn't need to listen to any adults when they KEPT telling him he had to sit down when he went down the slide.  Sure enough, the worst happened...he didn't sit down, and as I yelled for him to do so, he took off and flew off the side of the slide, straight to the ground (about 6 feet).  One ambulance ride, a back board and neck brace, and several x-rays later we were released with no injuries.  God was certainly watching out for Kyran that day, and we are very thankful He was.  In some ways, I am so glad that Kyran is fearless and isn't afraid to try new things and take risks.  But, at the age of 3, he needs to have a little bit of fear, for moments like this!  Hopefully there will be no more risky slide rides in his future!!!

Thanking the Lord each and every day for keeping this boy safe!

Summer Adventures

Our summer has been packed to the gills, but every now and then we get some free nights at home to adventure out and enjoy the peace and quiet...

 Catching fireflies.  This picture brings packs some emotion for me.  Catching fireflies as a kid, of course, but seeing Ben in his daddy's shirt reminds me of staying the night at Grandma and Grandpa Fincher's and putting on one of his undershirts for pj's.  We'd run around outside, just like Ben...I can close my eyes (with a few tears in them) and see it like it was yesterday.

 My little firefly catcher was so forlorn...he was not having much luck with his net, but thankfully Daddy came to his rescue.

Swimming in the evening is the best.  It's so relaxing when the sun slowly sets, the water turns a beautiful shadowy blue, and the day just melts away. 

Summer is rolling right along...

Summer just keeps rolling right along, no matter how hard I try to stop it.  Here are a few random pics from the last couple weeks.

 You know you're exhausted when you don't make it two miles from Grandma Debbie's before you're out...the headphones were no match for the nap!

 This is a pic from the All American, but I couldn't resist playing around with it a bit.

 Kyran thought Lynx needed to have his blankies for his "nap".  Lynx was not amused!

Our little mini 4H'er made these cookies with very little help from momma.  He got a little tired of stirring until it boiled, but other than that, he was a cookie making machine (who apparently doesn't need to wear anything but underwear when working in the kitchen)!

All American Junior Sheep Show - 2016

Our very best friends were heading to Michigan for the All American and asked us if we had plans for the weekend.  It was actually a free weekend for us and my in-law's camper was free too, so we decided at the last minute to head north with them.  Not many people probably head out to a sheep show for the weekend, but we're not your average people, lol!  We love hanging out with our friends (and our new friends, the Mitchell's, which we have really enjoyed getting to know this past year) and we enjoy the shows, so it was a win-win.  Plus, as an added bonus, Ben came home with a new enthusiasm for sheep showing and was asking when we were going to start getting our own sheep!!!  Andy was less than thrilled, ha ha ha!

Here are some pics I snapped of the weekend and the memories we made!  

 I love this picture of Kennedy and Blake.  Kennedy is quite the showman and you can just see her giving her "tips" to Blake.  She is such a cutie!

  

 The whole gang - they're quite the group!

 This is the daughter of a girl I know from back home.  I get to see them at almost every sheep show we go to, and this time she was in the same class as Ty, so I was able to get some good pics of her, too!

Township Fair 2016

 We had a great time at the annual Coal Creek Township Fair!  It's the last remaining township fair in the state and it is such a great way for the kids to get to practice their showmanship skills, get advice and constructive criticism on their projects, and have fun with their friends.  We spent the day watching Ty and Ellie show...of course, they did a great job!

 A mommy and her two loves

 This picture melts my heart.  I have one of these two when Ben was 1 and Blake was 2, at the same Township Fair, standing on the gates...they grow up too fast...

 You can just tell he's thinking "man, how can I get in there and show a sheep???"

 The ribbon hander-outers 

St. Joe, take 2!

Mom, Dad, Stacey and I loaded up seven of the cousins and headed north for the day, to St. Joe.  Their beach is so awesome and we had such a good time earlier this month, that we decided to go for round two.  It was a little cool and overcast in the morning, but it didn't stop the kids from hitting the beach.  They spent more time playing in the sand than in the water, but they didn't mind one bit!  After a picnic lunch, the sun came out and the day was absolutely beautiful.  We headed over to the splash pad to get all of the sand off and then went up town for ice cream and pictures on the The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  The kids had such a good time and they were thoroughly wiped out for the rest of the day...sun, sand and water will do that to you, for sure!