Summer's Here!

We started off the summer with a play date with one of the cousins. 

 We found a tree frog who found the pool.  

The kids had a blast playing with it.  

 I'm loving the wildflowers that are growing on the hillside right outside my porch. 

 The backyard is soaking up all the rain we have been getting.

 I'm loving not having to water the garden.

 Happy surprise:  I had Aunt Mae's bib lettuce come back from last year. 

My chickens are doing well.  

My Americana 'Nora' developed a feathers on the side of her face...

it makes her look a little crazy, but that's ok because that's exactly what she is.

 The chickens love going outside and the kiddos love holding them.

 I love this picture of Dixie.  

She's looking at me like why can't I hunt pheasants AND chickens?

Nora is by far the friendliest of all the flock.

 On one of our Sunday Fun days, we went to the park.

Dad fished, kids played on the equipment and played ball, while I tried to read a bit.

 We had a great time.

A quick stop at Culver's to end our day. 

It was perfect.

Picking Carrots....

We need more garden boxes!

Our carrots do awesome in this soil 

and I would love to have a whole box to dedicate to carrots.

 We tried a couple different varieties...

 some are purple

 and some are orange.

 We would have contests to see who could pick the biggest carrot out...

I won every time:) 

 In all the excitement, 

some of the carrots got left in the soil, so we had Evie and Dad dig them out.

A bucket full of carrots.

She loved going after multiple carrots at a time.

 For dessert that night, 

carrots and dip!

 They loved the carrots.
What a great night.

Soaking up the last bit of summer...

We have been busy around here:

 soaking up the sun, 

 smiling at the beauty,

 enjoying naps(Mittens snuggled in my new flower bed)

 picking humongous vegetables,

 finding crazy creatures,

 it's a luna moth catepillar if you were wondering,

 finding NEW favorite vegetables(ground cherries),

 getting a different ride,

 sizing our sunflowers up,

 swimming with cousins,

 canning,

 making forts,

 more canning, 

 making picante,

 doing all the mixin',

 keeping the kids busy,

 night swimming,

 more swimming,

and all together having so much fun.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer 

before school begins!

The Best Dinner Ever...

consisted of summer sausage, cheese,

cherries, blueberries, cucumbers, and green beans.

 I had help picking the cucumbers.

 We are getting a great bounty this year

 and I have many helping hands.

 Joey is getting zucchini sqaush from the seeds she planted from school.

 We had a bit of swimming yesterday.

 This was yesterday's pickings... peas, cherry tomatoes, ground 

 green beans, cucumbers,

 and the peas:)

 We celebrated Zach's birthday with a strawberry-rhubarb pie.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband.