FAMILY REUNION 2011

We had a wonderful time at the reunion!  It was so good to see folks that we have not seen in so long.  I'm not sure why I didn't think to have each family pose for a photo.  Next year I will do better!  I am going to start my search for a location for next year's get-together now.  I hope everyone will make it up here!  I know Jamie won't go up Nebo!  I guess I'd better look for flatter ground! Haha!  Our prayers are with Aunt Hilda's family.  This is such a difficult time for them.  I know everyone will keep them in their prayers.  If there are any suggestions for next year let me hear from you!

FAMILY REUNION 2011

 Kaylyn, Mike & Cassidy

 Kade was reelin' in the fish!

 Kara

 Cassidy

 Silly Aunt!!!

 Gettin' ready!

 Colton, Kade & Cassidy

 The whole bunch!

 Dad & his girls

 The grandkids!

 Kaylyn

(We have a family joke about the tree pose.   When looking back at old photos of the girls, we realized that both of them had "tree pictures" in every photo shoot!  Just keeping up the tradition!)

 In the "fish story" Kade told me later, the fish was at least 2 feet long!  Amazing how fast he learned to stretch the truth!

Kenneth and Kade fishing

JUST RANDOM PICTURES

 What better place to sleep than under the shade of a potted plant?  Crazy cat! 

 Kade and Tanner just hangin' out on the front porch.

 Playin' hard!  (Camo boots again!)

 This is one of my new Hereford heifers.  Notice her dewlap (we had to look it up to see what that body part is called! And for those who don't know, it's the floppy thing under her neck.)  According to the vet, she was bitten by a snake.  It was even more swollen and she could barely walk.  This is after a trip to the hospital for 3 days and lots of drugs.  Now what are the odds that I could have a horse snake bitten and now a cow?!  Okay.  I know I have bad luck!

 I have wanted my white-faced Brangus cow to have a black baldie baby.  Well she finally did this year.  His name is Special Eddie.  He walks around with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.  I'm not sure if that means something bad.  Guess we'll find out when we get a dime a pound at the sale barn!  LOL!

 Tanner trying to stay cool!

 Beau standing guard.  I love this dog!

 I made a trip to the southeast part of the state recently.  I took this while driving.  I know it wasn't safe to do but I couldn't believe the dust storm that blew up.  I nearly had to pull off the highway.  It is extremely dry there.

 See what you get if you're a good boy at the library.  I took Kade to library for the first time last week.  We were going to get dinosaur books but I couldn't figure out how to find them.  Does that tell you how long it's been since I went to the library?  Reading is not my thing!  Fortunately, the first book he picked up was about trains and he was happy.  Me too!


On a final note...our kids from Texas are coming for the 4th of July.  The kids will spend the week but Kaylyn has to fly back for work.  I am so excited!  Although, Cassidy is driving now.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that!  Especially in the mountains!  Hopefully, Colton and Kenneth can fish a little.  We have a family reunion to attend so that should be fun.

WHO SAYS TURTLES CAN'T MOVE FAST?

Every year about this time, land turtles are everywhere!  The day before, we had caught one.  Kade took it to his house and Mom and Dad finally convinced him to turn it loose in the flower bed.  (I caught him a toad and they had to sleep with it a couple of nights...in a toad box.)  We were on our way to the barn and this turtle was crossing the road.  I caught him and took him to Kade at the barn.  He thought it was the same one so who was I to tell him it wasn't?  Maybe it was...they all look alike!  Anyway, he spent at least an hour trying to get the turtle not to run away.  Every chance the little guy got, he scurried off toward the woods!  We finally put him in Mimi's flower bed.  Haven't seen him since.  Hmmm!  Cute pictures,  though!

IT'S SUMMER TIME!

 My mom used to say someone "had the life of Riley"???  Not sure where that came from as I am not sure where a lot of  her sayings came from,  but I know what she meant.  It applies here!  Just kicked back...not a care in the world and Mimi to serve him drinks!  Rotten!

 Oh, I know...underwear?!  Well the underwear is a step up!  He first streaked out in his birthday suit and refused to wear anything!  Good thing I live in the woods!

If you don't have a diving board...make one!

A BOY, A DOG, AND A PILE OF ROCKS!

Life is simple here!  Just give 'um a pile of rocks and they can play for hours!  But ya gotta have your camo boots!

LATEST PROJECT

Well, this has been a BIG project!  I would like to say we did it ourselves but we wouldn't live long enough to finish this one!  After pondering for a couple of years about a retaining wall in front of the house, we finally chose to use natural field stone.  All natural!  The guys that did this got a permit from the government and harvested all the stone for the wall in the national forest.  They hauled and hauled and hauled.  Three guys!  They loaded it, unloaded it then stacked it!  Fortunately they had a little tolerable weather but toward the end of the project they were draggin'!  I had intended to have them leave little planting areas for me to put fern, etc.  and make it really "Southern Living".   Then I thought about the snakes and scorpions and how much they will enjoy all this rock and the heart attack I would have when I had my first encounter with one...they rocked in the holes!  To "Mr. Fence" (Vince; Kade called him Mr. Fence) and the guys...thanks for a job well done!  Super guys!

KADE'S SELF PORTRAIT

Don't you see the likeness?

Such a cutie!!

THE LITTLE GREEN GUY

I haven't had much to blog lately, but I had an adventure with Kade that was too cute not to share!

Recently, Kade and I had made a trip to the barn for something. As we were about to return to the house, I picked up some empty feed bags to take to the trash. Underneath the bags was a lifeless little ruby-throated hummingbird. I picked it up to show Kade. The hummer twitched just a little as I held him. I explained to Kade that the cats may have played with him and he might not make it. Kade's response was, "Bless his little heart, Mimi, we have to save him!"

Well, who could tell him no! After examination, I found no evidence of a scuffle with the cats so I put the little fellow in Kade's hands. I told Kade that the hummer might be cold and for him to snuggle him to keep him warm while we rode back to the house. When we got to the house, we wrapped the hummer in a warm towel and put him on the counter. I mixed some nectar out of sugar and water and we began holding droplets of the nectar over his little beak. After a few minutes, I noticed his throat move...he was drinking! Soon, out came the tongue and he began to really take in the food. His eyes were still closed and he wasn't moving much. Then he suddenly opened his eyes...looked at Kade and then me. He soon started to wiggled and I told Kade that we had saved him and that we needed to set him free since he was a wild bird. That went over as you would expect! "But Mimi, I love the little green guy!"

Somehow during the argument, the little green guy escaped and was flying around the kitchen (with 12-foot ceilings). I knew from past experiences with hummers trapped in the garage or barn that I didn't have a chance of catching him. Kade thought it was great having him in the house. Fortunately, I was saved! The little green guy landed on a silk flower arrangement in a cubby over the refrigerator. I was able to get a stool and move the arrangement to the counter. The bird flew over to the window and got behind the wooden blinds and couldn't get out. Got him! So...I again explained to Kade that the little guy needed to go outside. We took him out on the front porch and off he flew to a tall oak tree. Then came the meltdown! He loved the little green guy and wanted to keep him! I was able to calm Kade down by putting nectar in the hummingbird feeder and letting him put it up on the hook.

Here are the pictures I took...

I am so blessed to get to share experiences like this with Kade! Being a grandparent is great!