yay! pictures!

A few weeks ago this field of oats became hay. I can see a part of the field from our back yard and in the afternoon sun it looks like gold.


 This is just a really cute kid modeling my new sunglasses. If you look past her you can see my new flower bed (it was my mother's day gift). This weekend we added some solar lights around it and it looks awesome. I love it so much.

We might have a new barn cat... only it doesn't seem to like anything about the barn. I barely ever see him during the day, but he definitely lets me know if I've slacked on getting his food out in the evening. He'll walk straight to the front door and stare and meow at me through the side lights. It's been interesting.

I'm at the very last of my "I should be washing those dishes" time, so adios for now.

pictures from a walk

After lunch today we went to find dewberries. We found some really good patches that should be ready in about a week that will make some good cobbler; I can't wait!

I'll be back tomorrow with some pictures from our birthday weekend.

Almost like Lions and Tigers and Bears- Oh my!

Our friend Carson has a game camera set up at the back of our place. We checked out the pictures on it last night and I thought I'd share what the camera caught.

First, there are a few deer that we've been watching for months now and you'll get to see the older one- Sam Elliot (yes, they get named). Secondly, there are a lot of wild hogs (terrible creatures) that come through and tear up things. They get huge. The one you will see has been named... Mr. Balls. (I didn't name him.) Then we see a family of racoons, I counted nine on one of the pictures. They climb the legs of the feeder and hang upside down trying to get to the feed. They climb on the camera, too.
Ah, but let's see the pictures!

Sam Elliot

Mr. Balls

Roxanne (I did name her)

The racoons crack me up and I will probably do a post with just them sometime soon.

I've saved the best for last. Here's a rare sight- a bobcat. (At least it wasn't that damn mountain lion.)

This was the last picture on the card, taken yesterday morning. I saw it and promptly flipped out. It's a big bobcat, too. The boys absolutely went crazy with their questions. Watch out Roxanne.

This morning on the way to school we saw a coyote run across the road and into a field. D was so excited because he saw it, too (the kids rarely get to see coyotes, but they do hear them a lot). He couldn't wait to tell all his friends at school about the bobcat and coyote.

And that, my friends, is part of this life in the country. I think it's a lot of fun.

P.S. I think we came up with a name for the bobcat last night, but I can't remember... any suggestions? Maybe Bert?

going outside is fun

 A nest of baby birds. (This is actually the second nest we spied on.)

 This squirrel let us get good and close. The kids were enthralled and watched him run around the yard for a good ten minutes.

Floating boats across a pond.

do you like surprises?

I think by all the smiles that these three get excited about surprises. 

 

And we are 

 

positively 

 

thrilled

about this one....

expected December 14

!!!!!

Saturday (picture overload)

Saturday was a wonderful day. We drove into town and picked up donuts and sausage kolaches from the little donut shop for breakfast, indulged in Starbucks frappachinos (such a rare treat!) and took it all to the park for a picnic breakfast.

I told T to get me any kind of coffee with chocolate so he got a white chocolate mocha and chocolate cookie mocha (the latter was my favorite). We spent about an hour playing and then headed back home for a quick lunch and to get ready to head to the fair.

 The kids had the best time. We arrived just as the rides were starting so there were no crowds to wade through and practically no lines to wait in. Rose was just tall enough to ride almost all the rides and as you can see had a blast.

The kids loved the Ferris wheel (I feel quite the opposite since I am a fraidy-cat of heights) and the first time I just stayed on the ground and took their picture. T said the kids were standing up looking over the sides and thought it was great. They weren't scared at all. I was roped into riding it since we needed to use up the last of our tickets before we left and you'll see in the following pictures how big of a baby I am.

 

The first picture is what T called my "death grip" on Rose's leg. In all the pictures of me on the Ferris wheel I'm either looking straight down or straight at the camera. I did take in the view for a few minutes and it actually made me feel a little better.  At least to where I was able to smile. 

top: I finally crack a smile while holding tightly onto Rose's shorts because T is making fun of me.
middle: Laughing at myself and relieved that the toddler will sit down and stop trying to crawl over the sides of the bucket.
bottom: Rose has officially had it with the mother who won't let her have ANY fun.

The boys said it was the best day ever. It really was a wonderful day. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Well, I might apply some sunscreen to my face, but otherwise it was perfect. I can't wait to do this again next year!

I Spy

 

from top to bottom: 

not ripe yet

climbing 

 movie reinactment

firstborn

picture overload

Hey, let's go for a walk after supper.

Okay, that sounds like fun!

 So, we need to cross this creek?

 

And this one, too? I'll go first!

 Hello, Girl-With-No-Fear.

 Why don't we go ALL the way to back?

We'll have to cross another (the same?) creek.

And we'll see this...

Elk. (our neighbor's)

A little nature walk and a Texas sunset. 

Perfect ending for the first day of Spring.

vernal equinox

 

 weeds wildflowers

 

baby green bean plants

after the first (severe) Spring thunderstorm:

A River Very Small Stream Runs Through It

Have a very wonderful first day of Spring.

p.s. Thanks for the get well wishes yesterday! I'm feeling much better.

the kids are shrinking

or the swings are growing...