Sunday Pictures - a day late!

As we were getting ready for Sunday Morning Meeting, I decided to get some pictures taken while everyone was all dressed up.

Moore Cousins

Keaton, Preston, Katlyne

Winston, Moiriah, Jackson,

Anistyn

Brothers

Tom & Paul

Paul and I, duelling cameras

The whole gang

Paul, Tom,

Katlyne, Keaton, Preston, Grandma Marcia,

Me, Moiriah,

Jackson, Winston, Anistyn,

Daisy Dawg

My favorite Sunday activity:

A nice looooong nap!

A Day in the life...

This is what we've been doing today:

Uncle Paul cooked us breakfast!

His famous 'tiny' pancakes with eggs, tater-tots and strawberries.

YUM!

Ani kept him company while he cooked.

She's a chatter-box!

Tom roamed through his garden.

He pulled a few weeds while he was there.

There was a hot game of croquet.

Tom, Paul and Jack watch Keaton taking a shot.

Katlyne and Moiriah watch Tye.

(Tye is Keaton's friend.  Today he's the girl-magnet)

Jack pretty much followed Uncle Paul around -

giving him pointers.

So serious.

My wild country child.

This is pretty much his life over Summer vacation.

My sweetie!

Some crazy boys playing computer games.

(I don't know what's up with Tye and Keaton)

Preston, just keeping it normal.

The grumpy-old-men playing dominoes.

(They weren't really grumpy)

(They were just avoiding the teenagers)

And Daisy Dawg, who is doing very well after her surgery.

Except for getting stuck in the fence, trying to get onto the deck.

Now there's a wild game of 'Settlers of Catan' going on in the kitchen.  After which we will fire up the BBQ for Mojito-Lime Chicken, with a side of rice and veggies.

Just another Summer Saturday!

Anyone need a buck?

We've had this buck hanging around lately.

It's kind of cool, but kind of scary too.  Everyone tells you to be careful around them.  Daisy just wants to play.

He came down and watched Kendall and Jeremy as they were packing up to go home.  He also went out and watched the kids play in the creek, before Jeremy walked over to get him to move on.  He's been stopping in here for the past week now.  He certainly isn't very afraid of people or dogs.

We've had Katlyne, Jack & Ani and Marcia visiting this week.

The kids got to enjoy the pool today because we finally got some hot weather.  It will be short lived because a storm is coming in tonight, and we're supposed to have rain for the next five days.

Today we went through all my old crayons and picked out the broken ones.  The kids did a great job of peeling the papers off of them.  Then we melted them down and made new 'round' crayons.  Recycling is great!

They look really cool all stacked up, too!

In other news:

We have a rooster!

From our new batch of chicks we got this spring.  We thought Moxie was going to be a rooster, but she wasn't.  Instead, Shelly was a rooster.  So Winston has named him 'Shelvin'.

Sadly, we lost Moxie yesterday.  The old hens ganged up on her and she didn't survive the pecking-order.  They attacked Shelvin pretty hard, too.  He's limping a bit, but he's still moving along.  I was so mad at those old hens, I was threatening to make them coyote bait!  Dumb hens!  Someday hopefully Shelvin will be big enough to take them on!

 I also came to a conclusion today...

There are not many things more futile than trying to get a puppy to sit still for a picture.  Daisy's eyes look really goofy in this one.  Poor girl, goes in tomorrow to get fixed.  Happy for us, not so happy for her.

We got a new mat for the tramp.

The old mat that came with it when we bought it from Aunt Terri and Uncle Kent lasted us many, many years - and many, many jumps.  It was in good shape when we first got it, but that many years took it's toll.  The kids have been enjoying the new mat.  Besides jumping, they like to lay on it after they get out of the pool to warm up.  It has many uses!

The deadly nightshade is in bloom.

Lovely to look at, but deadly.

The Syringa is in bloom also.

It's lovely to look at too, but not deadly.

Well, that's about it for now.

I think almost a dozen pictures is enough, don't you?

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Father's Day/Anniversary

Happy Father's Day!

(Keaton, Tom, Preston & Winston)

******************

Tom was treated to a cooked breakfast this morning

- Eggs with Pepperoncini's and Toast.

Then after morning meeting the boys and I pitched together and BBQ'd Steak & Shrimp.

  Preston made up a batch of Oatmeal Scotchies cookies, which are Tom's favorites.

  So far it's been a great Father's Day!

***********************

It's also our Anniversary today.

Yesterday we got Papa Murphy's Pizza to celebrate!

 23 years of wedded bliss!

To all you Father's out there...

Have a Great Father's Day!

Visiting with Little Sis...

After the family reunion we got to have my sister, Kendall, and her girls stay the week with us.  I was really looking forward to spending time with them.  Unfortunately, first off we ALL got the flu.  The first part of the week turned out pretty miserable for all of us.  Then as we were starting to feel better, the weather got bad.  So we were pretty much stuck in the house the rest of the week.  Poor Kendall, I hope this doesn't dampen her wanting to come see us again!  Here are some pictures of things we did last week:

Painting little ceramic figurines for the kids to play with.

On Thursday we were feeling well enough to go in to Walmart to get a few things.  We picked up some little art projects for the kids to do.  Then we went to McDonalds and got the $ drinks.  Then on to a little cupcake shop that I wanted to go to (and especially take Shelby to, because she loves cupcakes so much).

It was sooooo good!

Then we went to see the grizzly bears in the bear habitat at the college.  We were in luck, the bears were out and we got to see quite a few, even some cubs.  After that we went home and made pizza for dinner.

Shelby enjoying her pizza and $ soda!

Pretty much all day Saturday was a Catan-a-thon.  It was pouring rain outside, so it was a good day to just sit around and barter with each other for sheep, rock, brick or wood.

I don't think Keaton likes to lose at Catan.

Winston and his cousins, Shelby & Tyra, spent a lot of time playing, coloring and having indoor picnics.  When they were able to go outside, they caught goldfish from Uncle Tom's pond and found some tadpoles in the ditch.

Speaking of Uncle Tom's pond, here he is cleaning the screen.  So far we still have goldfish, but we aren't sure how many.  We see a few here and there.

Kendall and the girls headed off to Nels and Rachel's house for a week.  We hope to see them again on Saturday or Sunday before they head back home.  That pretty much covers our week.

In other news:  Preston started his job at the college, painting dorms and apartments.  Keaton starts his tomorrow in the IT Department, working with computers.  Winston and I are spending mornings working on Summer Home-School to keep him up with his studies through the summer.  No rest for the weary.

Here's another gratuitous Sally pic

for your viewing pleasure.

Have a Great Week!

Chickmas IV: So Long, Farewell...

... Auf Wiedersehen, Good-bye...

It was hard to see everyone leave at the end of our family reunion.

We all gathered around the front yard to see each one off, and to take some last minute pictures.

One of the things I try to do at each reunion is to get a family picture of everyone.  I haven't been very good at getting everyone every year.  True to form, I didn't get a picture of Mom & Dad, Nels & Rachel with family, or Tom & I with the boys.  Darn it!

So, here is what I did get, one way or another...

Grandma and Grandpa Larson.

My camera has been having a blur problem lately.

Poor Grandpa, came in sick with a flu bug Thursday evening and was just feeling better when it was time to go.  By then poor Grandma caught it.

(Then the rest of us caught it - but after everyone went home... or were on the way home.  It was a genuine family plague).

Erik & Jill with Emily and Ali

Levi & Kadie with Lola, Ruby and Kylo

Katie with Kamille, Victoria, Jude, Hannah and Matthew

(I have a confession to make.  I did not take this lovely picture.  Nels is the photographer.  I hope he doesn't mind that I posted it on my blog.  And while I'm confessing - some of the graduation pictures were actually Nels's pictures too.  My camera was taking lousy pictures, so I'm so glad he got some and let me take them off his camera.  Thank you, Nels.  I hope it's okay that I used them.)

Kendall & Jeremy with Shelby & Tyra

(Confession time again - Nels took this one too!)

(This one came from Marcia's camera.)

Yep, it's the Chick gang with young Keaton-the-smarty-pants.

What a group!

Kendall, Erik, Keaton, Nels, Me (Tracy), Katie and Levi

Ya 'All Come On Back Now, Ya Hear?!

Chickmas - Part III

Just some random photos from the reunion:

Jeremy, Keaton and Tom

checking out something on Jeremy's phone.

Mom, Jude and Kendall look through the books Mom brought for the grandkids to choose from.

Another Super Preston!

More swimming in the  pool.

Levi with Ruby, Erik and Kadie kicking back under the willow tree.

Hanna, Elsie and Shelby.

I love how Shelby is posing for the camera.

Emmy Jo, striking a pose too.

Winston and Elsie check out their treasures from the egg hunt.

Jill got lots of ball playing in with Hank and Harley.

Sweet Tyra

Hanna Bug

Winston Man

Baby Clara

Kendall and Preston by the fire.

Rachel with Clara, Me and Victoria enjoy the fire too,

With Mom & Dad and Erik & Jill in the background.

I just liked this picture of Keaton.

Another one of his famous faces!