New Swing Set

The cousins got a new swing set.  Christian (13) put the majority of it together. All the kids have had a lot of fun on it.  It's nice to have this with a house that is sharing space with 13 kids, 13 and under...don't ya think?!

Westin (4) Seth (3) BEFORE the new swing set

Christian & Cole working on putting it together

Already full of kids

A crowd has gathered to watch the fast spinning

Christian spinning & spinning

Patrick & Paul making a few finishing touches and sealing the wood

This Face

We've been married almost 16 years, and in our marriage we've never had any pets.  Which means, yes, since having children for the past 12 years, our kids have never had a pet.
My entire childhood I had 2 dogs.  The first was a schnauzer, the second a lhasa apso. Never have we had a cat. When I was a girl I'd spend summers at my grandparents house where there were always lots of cats roaming the rural streets, living under peoples houses (up on cinder blocks).


This face makes me want to get a kitten...

I like how Westin looks like the strong, big brother here

The excitement in those lil brown eyes...

Mothering this sweet lil kitten

Later that night, asleep in a chair, dreaming of soft, lil kittens

...one day, in the future, when we have our own property, we will have some big ol dogs running and playing with our pile of kids....and maybe a cat or two to keep the mice out of the barn.

Wordless Wednesday...It's FUN to Live in the Country

A Cool Night, Calls for a Warm Fire

The kids enjoyed gathering tree limbs (and scraps) tonight to make our first country, barn-house, fire.

Cole's marshmallow tree

Westin's lil tree

Look at my camera effects on the fire ~ sparks ~

~ Stars ~

~ Hearts ~

Riley enjoying hot chocolate and the fire

Can you tell which one of these boys was cold?

How about now?

Hay Bails

Until recently, my kids never paid much attention to hay bails. There were the occasional bails we'd pass in fields as we drove by, in which Paul always hollered out loud, "HAAAAAY!".

But now there are daily requests to go the 'bails'

The kids run, jump, play, roll and occassionaly will shout out, "HAAAY!"

Even the dog, Aggie, meets the kids there

Always Time For Afternoon Tea

Earlier this week we received our copy of The Girlhood Home Companion magazine and Cadie loved the tea party ideas. We talked about it, and agreed that it would be a great way to say good bye to sweet friends by hosting a tea party.  She did most of the work herself, had plenty of brothers clamoring to be 'tasters' and couldn't wait for the afternoon to get here.

My baby is growing up in front of my eyes.

The menu for the event

Egg salad sandwiches in the shapes of hearts & a rabbit

Strawberries with cream

~ C o o k i e s ~

Ball point pens decorated with a flower on top

(later they each made their own to take home)

This was PRECIOUS, the girls twirled around in the living room,

quietly giggling and chuckling the entire time

Outside they demonstrated the dance they choreographed

Boys

We had a BIG rain today ~ such a blessing, and so thankful.  However, before the rains came down, the fortress went up...

...See anything?

...Ready, Aim, 

FIRE!!!

Mom was not the target, an older child snapped these for me.

The dark, looming clouds finally gave way to a heavy rain, for our part of the country that is.  It was even blowing up onto the patio.

Look, even my chiminea was full (you know the kids were dropping army men 

in that the first chance they got).

C H E E S E!

Riley just lost his 2nd front tooth ~ too cute!!