The Great Outdoors

Hey!

Hope this note finds everyone well!!

It is spring in Kansas!!

I love the few days that we have here when it is deliciously warm with only a very slight breeze!

That doesn't happen very often!

So when it does, I am eager to get out and see what is popping up!

It seems that we are at a place now where new things are happening in the garden every day!

You can see my little herd of goldfish and koi. We have had a lot of trouble with our pumps getting clogged due to the roots of the water lilies. .and as some of the pumps have failed, not enough aeration has gotten a few of the biggest fish! You can see a small clump of the lilies in the lower left. .Those lilies had green leaves ALL. WINTER. LONG!! Crazy! Hoping for flowers early!

On the south side of the pond, I planted two of these little ornamental cherry bushes last spring. I babied them along all summer. .and they are leafing now and full of bloom! The butterflies have already noticed them! They will be very showy as they get bigger.

Here are a couple of honeysuckle bushes. They are producing a nice little bit of privacy for the yard. .

They don't smell good. And that bothered me at first. .

But they are lit up with these tiny red blooms all over. .and they will form little red berries that the birds seem to eat. They were described as good plants for nature. .And it seems they are. I am hoping that they might catch the attention of any stray hummingbirds heading north!

Tulips are starting their show.

I love that they do their thing in stages! It seems that always a new one is blooming as the old ones finish!

These are all in the memory garden. The Blue Atlas Cedar tree that anchors that garden got a good case of winter burn a few months ago when the temperature hit negative digits. I am not sure that it will recover, but we are watering and waiting. It will be a big loss if it dies!

At the back of the memory garden I put in 12 new roots of asparagus last spring from Walmart. One bag of them never did a thing all summer, so I was convinced that the bag was bad. There are 3 roots of them that have spears. .and the other bag has several roots starting too. I am super excited about them. .as grilled or roasted asparagus has become one of my favorite spring time foods!

The lilacs will be blooming early too! This little bush is loaded.

Last month when the weather was getting warm, Jeremy let our outdoor wood stove go out. This is how we heat the house and the greenhouse. With the exception. .that the house. .is also on propane if the wood heater isn't going! One night it got COLD. .and because we hadn't thought about turning the heater back on,  it froze every tomato plant in the place. .got the majority of both huge ferns. .and some of the succulents didn't make it out alive either!

GRR! Live and learn right!?

And the redbud tree. .which became a bush when the main stem died! They are one of my favorite spring blooms!

We were very fortunate a few weeks ago to miss the fires! It was probably 15 miles from us. On my way to work, I drove past a couple of homes that had been burned down in Oklahoma. It has been raining today--with expected rains to continue for a few days, leaving us with significant amounts of liquid gold. We are thankful for that!

The older boys were both home for parts of their spring break last week. We enjoyed their company! Cami and I went with some girlfriends to a barn quilt painting class on Saturday.

We had a BLAST!

Well, after the lady in charge helped Cami and I get our patterns drawn on that is!

My mind has NEVER computed geometry. .

And due to the portion of my personality that ALWAYS has to pick out the hardest route. .

The designs we chose weren't simple blocks and triangles!

So 15 minutes into the project, my blood pressure was BOILING and I was wondering what kind of crazy dumb thing I had gotten us into!!

Cami and Cashton worked with the help of the lady in charge.

They enjoyed the experience and had a fun day!

And despite how the morning started. .they really did turn out phenomenally well!!

Here we are with our finished boards! Cami's was a 1x1 and mine was a 2 foot square. They are still propped up in the living room. .with the hope of being hung this week!

She and I are going to have a lot of fun doing girl things together!

I just know it!

Now, if I can just get her interested in pulling weeds!

Thanks for stopping by!

Will try and keep the garden pictures coming!

And maybe a family update!

Dog Days of Summer. .

My goodness. .

Time has flown!

I intended to be posting more regularly. .

but the summer just flew by. .And I guess I spent more time living it than writing about it.

Let me run down where we are in our lives. .

These two have flown the coop. .Tristan won't be back to live again. .Only to visit. Wow! He finished his carpentry classes in May. .worked all summer for our local contractor. .even getting to do some projects on his own. .

He has moved now to Topeka where he is focusing on learning cabinetry and millwork. I did get some use out of him replacing some yucky doors and trim in my laundry room. .and I am loving that. .a nice reminder of him since he is gone. He called yesterday and told me he got a part time job at Lowes. That will help him out a lot--both giving him something to keep him out of trouble. .and helping him pay for his apartment expenses.

This guy will also not likely be coming back to live either. He intended to study diesel mechanics for 2 years in Topeka. .but over the summer, they revamped their courses and program, and so he will learn most of what he needs to know in a year. At which point. .he too, will be ready to get a job and be his own person!

He and Tristan are living in the same apartment with another buddy, and that will make the whole transition from high school to college easier. He is loving the classes, even after a week. .and is also putting out applications for a part time job. Seems, as they have talked, that there is no shortage of part time opportunities available. .so that is great!!

This past weekend. .we cleaned out the rest of Grant's basement abode. .repaired and repainted the walls and shampooed the carpet before we let Devin move down there. It is much cooler than their upstairs bedroom. .so he was excited. It also made the loss of the oldest two a little more acute though for this mama! 18 years goes incredibly fast!!

You can see that we made it to the lake again.

We weren't going to go at all this summer. .

But WHO can pass up amazing opportunities like this one??

Skiing at sunset? Unbeatable!

We did have a wonderful long weekend away to relax and play before everyone had to get back to reality and to our schedules!

This guy is trying to adjust to being the big man on campus now!

Not only is he the biggest kid at our house. .

He has officially started 8th grade!

He had a super busy summer working for his dad. .mowing granddad's lawn. .a week of church camp. .and a week of a community oriented  mission trip service work right here in our county. Oh. .and some pool time in between! He has started football. .and is committed to working his hiney off to earn a position on his team.

He got 2nd place in his cooking division at the fair and earned the opportunity to sell his amazing German Chocolate layer cake at the premium auction! He and Cami will continue with 4-H this year. .and I will admit great fulfillment in graduating from helping with 4 record books--to only 2 record books!! And the little girl already seems much more patient to write and take care of business than any of her brothers ever were!!

Speaking of little girls. .This one is growing up fast!! She is in 3rd grade. .She is quite social-and on a brother/sister status with nearly every lifeguard at the pool. She is becoming really helpful around the house. .and has had to step up her game since her older brothers left.

These two are attempting to learn new skills to help our church with worship music. Cami is still trying to learn the guitar--we have been lazy about it. .but she has new motivation now to try some more! Devin is learning how to play a Cahon--a wooden box with snare drum stuff on the inside. We saw it used during the mission week here. .and fell in love with the sound and potential!!

So then, that just leaves us!

What an adjustment!

Granny took the kids to a rodeo last weekend. .

And we enjoyed supper out and a trip to the movie to watch Jason Bourne. .

We can still have a good time with just the two of us. .so that is in our favor :-)

He's been helping me with a lot of honey-do's lately. .but we are about to get them all caught up.

His boat driver left. .but Devin is learning to drive it--however, since the kids have been in school, it just leaves him hot and bothered. After 18 years in that hot metal shop--he finally consigned to getting a huge water cooler which drops the temperature about 20 degrees. .so it is really helping on those 100 degree days!!

And his temperament improves too!

Still work for me. .plus youth group, Sunday School and our online women's bible study. I was hopeful that moving another kid out this year would be easier than last year. .but it wasn't. I just knew what to expect. .and so did Jeremy!! (Last year he thought I was going C-R-A-Z-Y!)

BUT. .one of the perks of growing up. .

Is that I graduated to this AWESOME and sporty little mustang to drive to work.

The first time that Cami rode in it with me, she looked in the back seat and said "Mom, I don't think I can fit back there." I just smiled and said "Exactly!"

Mid life crisis??
Maybe!

Thanks for stopping by!

Quarterly Update. .

Hey family and friends!

I had enough of a break in my schedule. .

that I thought I might change out my pictures and update our story. .

 
 I think I last updated about 3 months ago. .

I'm not sure that a ton of things have changed. .

But here's what we have. .

 

Tristan is outta here. .

This mom cried for several weeks. .

and still cries every time he leaves.

It's been really weird. .

But I would say that we are adapting.

He just finished his first semester as a college kid.

Jeremy and I hope to go up after the first of the year and check out the house that his carpentry class is building.

Tristan and the two roommates that were there on move-in day!

He works a few odd jobs at college. .But is glad to be home for a month to replenish his bank account!

They have started some intramural basketball in the evenings. He reports that it is a lot of fun! He passed his college math class. .which was everyone's biggest concern. .And is left with only one general ed class next semester. .which is speech. .And for a veteran 4-H kid who also loved forensics. .I would say it should be smooth sailing!

Speaking of 4-H. .
He and Grant both achieved the Key Award for their last year of 4-H. This is the highest award that the kids can get based on their level of involvement in the 4-H program. About 2% of the kids in 4-H nationwide will achieve this award!

Mr. Grant. .

Thoroughly enjoying his senior year.

Took senior pictures in late September. .He let me go and watch. .and I had to laugh as the photographer asked him about posing one way or another. .and his dead-pan response was "I don't know, you'll have to ask my mom. .This day is all about her." We kept joking back and forth about the fact that he didn't want to take pictures. .and I continually told him. .that it wasn't even about him. .just about the senior mom! I think our constant bantering wears Jeremy out!

 

We also bantered back and forth all summer. .

about him running cross country.

I thought that he would be a great runner. .

He thought that he would hate to run.

For some unknown reason. .except that he claims to be a people pleaser. .

He finally decided that he would run. .

And really enjoyed it. .

He hates it when I am right!

He did great for a kid who hasn't run a race in 4 years. .

And agreed that he liked it well enough. .that if he hadn't been graduating. .he would do it again next year!

He will work for his dad after school all winter. .

And then plans on golfing in the spring. .He sure would like to golf at State this year.

And then graduation in May!

Next fall he will head to Topeka to study Diesel Mechanics. .

And has an open mind on where he wants to go. .and what he wants to do after that.

I'm glad that both boys are open to wherever God leads them!

Devin. .

100% junior high this year. .

He enjoyed going out for football as a 7th grader. .they don't let 6th graders go out.

He learned lots and had fun being a part of the team.

He is now in basketball and loves being involved in everything.

I had some awesome parents that agreed to help us host a junior high Halloween party at our place in the country. We had the most beautiful fall night night you could imagine. .and we played games in the dark by the light of a fire and tiki torches. Then they hunted candy corns with flashlights in the dark while parents and teenage siblings took advantage of the opportunity to scare the socks off of them!

A pinterest idea. It's layered Mexican dip. .arranged to look like vomit. I laughed for like an hour after I finished!

 The Fear Factor food game was a hit. .with a whole new level of nasty looking foods with horrid names! The cats had a good night!!

 I got a little panicked about the whole party thing about a week in advance. .realizing that we had the potential to ruin the kid's reputation for life if it was a bust!! BUT. .the kids had a blast. .and Devin told me a few days ago. .that several of the kids remarked that they had had so much fun at the Halloween party. .that they were hoping that we would do a Christmas party too :-)

Score!! 

He shot his first deer last Friday. .

A 10 pointer. He and his dad have been making deer jerky, and everyone seems to like it pretty well!

These two and I finally made it to the Peace Treaty in Medicine Lodge. .I've wanted to go for years. .and never made it. We had a great time!!

Cami. .Loves 2nd grade. .She is getting so grown up! She can put her own mop up into a pony tail (if she has to), can read books in her head, and can change her own earrings! She has gotten to go to the mini-cheer camps at the high school twice this year and loves doing that! It also means that she gets to do a 1/2 time performance to show off what she learns!

She "auditioned" for a part in her music program. .and had both some speaking lines and a "rap song" solo. She said she was nervous until her first word into the microphone. .and then she was just HOOKED! Our church is putting on a Christmas program this weekend during worship service time. .and she has been practicing a solo. She is excited!

8th birthday. She was very specific in her cake directions to grandma Pat. .A brown horse, standing on his back legs with clouds and grass. She got 'er all in there!!

 She also talked her dad into getting a puppy. Apparently some fool told the girl. .that when she was 8. .she could get a dog. WHAT?? So. .right before she turned 8. .she started asking. Grant's girlfriend's family had a litter of 10 pups this fall. .and so we took 2 of them. .so they wouldn't get lonely!

They are 1/2 Rottweiler and 1/2 Pyranese.

They are laid back and sweet! And we all love them. .Especially Tristan. .who reports that HE had wanted a dog F-O-R-E-V-E-R. .and never got one! He may be holding a minor grudge!

The rest of us. .

are up to nothing different!

I am finishing up a year long study in the four gospels. The online bible study went well. .It takes most of any extra time that I have. .hence the neglect of this blog. I think I am about ready for Christmas. .shopping is done. .wrapping is mostly done. .baking and candy making are done too. .Cards and letter written and mailed. .We have family pictures this coming weekend with my inlaws. .We haven't done it for years. .so I am looking forward to that!

 Jeremy just keeps doing what he always does. .

He hates winter. .and is already for spring. .

Sue. .he would NEVER survive your Michigan winter!!

Finishing our big family project from last Christmas. We used our hands to make snowpeople on a small canvas. .He was the last one to finish up for me. I'll have to take a picture of my whole board full of them!

 I'm not sure that I have anything else that exciting to report. .

So I will sign off. .

From our house to yours. .

We wish you a VERY merry Christmas. .

and a blessed and healthy New Year!! 

Well, Hello. . .

Hey. .

Remember us?

I think I promised to get some vacation pictures posted before Christmas. .

Which. .

is happening now!!

We took another week and spent it at Grand Lake, Oklahoma.

We enjoyed July 4th there so much last year. .

That we opted to go during the same time frame this year.

It was good to get away. .

But hands down. .

The worst vacation ever!

With the exception of my sister and her family coming over 4th of July weekend. .

And the two days we spent on the lake playing. .

It rained for THREE solid days.

Which led to cooped up, cramped up, grumpy campers!!

And when my husband offers to take me antique shopping. .

AND my children oblige with no complaining. .

you KNOW it was bad!!

In fact, it rained so much. .

That the water level on the lake rose (by our closest account) by about 4 feet, and the flood gates were wide open letting water off downstream!

We did enjoy two nights of fireworks. .

Well, the ADULTS enjoyed two nights of fireworks. .

The little kids were over it at the end of the first night!

We enjoyed looking over all these cool old WW2 planes at an air show in Ketchum, Ok. .

Some did flips and turns. .

And some had people jumping out of them.

These two little monkeys ran around like crazy, trying to take it all in!

I will add that they were VERY impressed!

Because the lake showed their busiest weekend in HISTORY. .

We didn't get on the water much while they were there. .

But we did enjoying swimming off the dock and floating. .

And partook at an all you can eat shrimp boil.

YUM!

The first day it rained. .

We drove into Tulsa and spent the day at Incredible Pizza. .

which was. .

I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!!

We played bumper cars, laser tag, go cart racing, arcade games, video games and ate ALL day!

The boys got bigger play packages. .

So Cami got to take a turn in the trampoline room.

She enjoyed her 15 minutes in there!!

After vacation came the County Fair. .

A couple trips to Lake Canton, one being a camping weekend. .

Lots of drag racing in Great Bend. .

And moving Tristan to college.

Wow. .

If THAT wasn't rough on this mama!!

He found it to be a little bit of a tough transition as well. .

But he enjoys his classes and is making new friends too. 

This guy is a senior now. .

He decided to try running cross country this year. .

He hasn't enjoyed the meets yet, but he really enjoys running in practice! 

His personality is really blossoming since his brother left. .

And that has been fun to see. 

His pesto bread loaf netted him overall Grand Champion of the 4-H food class at the fair. .

And his opportunity to sell it at the Premium Auction netted him some extra dough. .

HAHAHA!

Devin is in 7th grade. .

He is playing football for the first time ever.

He likes it.

 He also switched from percussion to saxaphone over the summer. .

And I will be anxious to hear him play with the pep band at the first home high school football game tomorrow night. 

Actually, all three of the boys did well enough on their cooking to take 1st or 2nd place in their food levels at the fair. .so ALL of them got to sell their product at the Premium Auction!

This little mama. .

Learned how to ski this summer. .

Last year she was able to get up and stay up briefly, but THIS summer. .

She was GOOD! She also learned how to surf too. I was against even letting her try because the board is so big and heavy, but with Grant helping her in the water to get the board under her feet, she was able to take right off. I wish I had that picture on here. .because her smile was ear to ear. .the ENTIRE time!!

She is in 2nd grade and LOVES school. Though she was a surprise package for this family. .I frequently thank God for giving her to us. .She is a delight most of the time!! I look forward to all the fun things that I can enjoy with a daughter in the future. 

And. .

I really DO love my boys!! 

All of them!!

This old lady. .

is getting mellower and slower every year! My gardens are not looking great at this point in the season, but what is out there. .is becoming more established and filling in. .I really love the bones I have going now. .in a couple more years. .I will have some great stuff to work with when I find that extra hobby time that I am missing right now!!

I still work multiple places, teach high school youth group every Wednesday night, recently started teaching high school Sunday School at church, and am in the 9th month of leading an online ladies bible study through the 4 gospels in the bible. That has been AWESOME. .and has given me a lot of opportunity to minister to and bless others! 

This old guy. .

stills works like a dog. .

He crams in absolutely as much lake time and racing weekends as he can. He shows up to take his bride out for lunch nearly every Wednesday. He has been helping teach a junior high youth group in our community too. His grandma helps us out by eating dinner with Cami and hanging out with her every Wednesday night. .It's a good thing for both of them! I wish I would have an opportunity like that with my own grandmas. .I know she will cherish it forever!!

So. .

There ya have it.

It's our lives in a nutshell. 

Thanks for checkin in on us. .I'll try not to stay gone so long. .

But I won't make any promises either. .

I know ya understand!

Much love from our little ole part of the world!