This goes back to March 11 when Ben turned 17. *Blink* Happy Birthday Ben!
Not to detract from Ben's special day and dessert (a serious thing around here)(dessert)(especially strawberry pie), but that little fellow in Tori's lap is out-of-this-world cute, don't you think? Those adorable eyes just take in life by the bucketful.
And this little tyke is always game to try something new. Even Grandpa's specially-made lemonade which is a *little* tart for some people. She loved it.
We missed Kate for a week (kind of) as she joined the
HarvestCall effort to rebuild homes in Hardin County, Texas after the devastating hurricanes and subsequent flooding of August 2017. She enjoyed meeting up with old friends, making a few new friends, and doing lots of painting and other such really fun activities.
Back home we got to enjoy these two sweethearts for a couple hours one day.
'Tis the season for mud around here. Which means the big tractor can't be used to take hay to the bovines, who really do still need to eat in spite of the mud. So for awhile the method of feeding cows/steers was the four-wheeler and its wagon, with kids holding down the loose hay.
If you look closely at this next picture, you can see a hooded head to the right of the pitchfork. That's Josh. He's a hard-working farm kid, that one is!
Thankfully most of the mud is gone, and, since the frost is (finally) out of the ground, any new rains won't puddle up quite so horribly as they have thus far.
Come on Spring.
I have a confession to make.
I like books. I like lots of books. I like children's books, adolescent books, adult books, history books, science books, cook books, how-to books. Fiction and non-fiction. Biographies and autobiographies. Old and new. Actually my favorites are mostly old. One of these days I'll share a few favorites. A few more favorites I mean. Like I used to on this blog, one day a long long time ago. I really did, I think.
Anyway. I digress.
Of all the children's picture books I have (and the number is in the hundreds I'm quite sure), this favorite tyke returns to the same favorite books over and over: our family photo albums.
How neat is that?
So let's see. This was a weekend we went to Elgin for a special day with family and friends. March 17 was the day. And we did not know this was in the forecast. Because we only checked the forecast for our area. We all missed the fact that this weather was between us and Elgin. But. Look in the distance - - - blue skies were waiting on the other side of the snowstorm. And once we got through the snowstorm - - -
It. Was. Gorgeous.
Regretfully, I took no px of the sparkly sunshine on the snow-covered land, mainly because pictures couldn't do it justice; but you'll have to take my word for it: it was brilliant and bright and beautiful.
And by the time we left for home, there were few traces of the snow left; back home there were none. And that's good. As beautiful as it was, we don't miss it at all. Not at all. We are tired of white stuff. We are ready for green stuff.
Just saying.
Can't remember what day this was but see the slight (very slight) hint of green in the grass? Might have to use your imagination a little...
One Wednesday awhile ago we had quite a crowd. I love this picture. There's just a lot going on that makes me smile.
*and no, Jack is definitely NOT sleeping!
That's it.
*Dare I even say I hope to stay caught up a little better?? Well I do. There, I said it!*
**well haha I started this post on Monday and am finally publishing it on Friday!!!!**
