Oct 28, 2008

WOW.....it has been over a month since I updated this page. I think someone pushed fast forward on life because October is just a blur! I need to find the trick to slow it down just a little.

Our weather gave us a few cold days reminding us winter is just around the corner. The hard frost killed off my tomatos and peppers that were holding on for the long haul. Now I have a large box of green tomatos that I hope will ripen on the counter. I found a recipe for green tomato bread that I may try. It looks like a recipe similar to zucchini bread so it may be pretty good. I just won't tell anyone what is in it!.

The boys are growing like weeds planted in fertilizer. Tyler is a never ending eating machine. Aaron is talking more and more. Riley is doing very well in school. He brings home a hard cover book everyday to read to us. I haven't seen a dick and jane book yet. I am pretty sure I wasn't reading books like this until 3rd grade. We are very proud of him.

We took them down on the river to Dwight Shepherd's place. Dwight was kind enough to catch a horse and let the boys ride "Indian style". Riley and Ty are so excited to go back to Mr Shepherd's place and ride again. Aaron loves horses, but wasn't crazy about getting on one. He says he does not want to ride a horse again.

Last night we had the most beautiful evening. It was just slightly cool and no real breeze. We packed a picnic supper and headed out to Meade Lake. This time of year the lake is deserted so we had the park to ourselves. The boys had a blast throwing rocks in the water and running around. Tyler rode his bike and could barely keep up with Riley on his scooter. Aaron ran and ran until he was out of breath, then he ran some more. Mom took  a spin on the scooter. I will not be posting the pics Ryan took of that!

The cottonwoods out at Meade Lake are beautiful right now. I love this time of year. The slight bite to the air, the sound of leaves crackling in the grass as you walk and the special smell in the air.

Evenings like last night are so memorable and special I wonder why we don't do them more often. It just takes a little effort and we all had a wonderful time.

   the boys having a blast.

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Sept 24, 2008

The other day I tried to get the boys dressed up for nice pictures. What a fight. Riley was very cooperative and I am sure Aaron would not care, but Tyler decided he just wanted to wear his t shirt and jeans and refused to change in to something else. So much for my vision of the boys in white shirts and blue jeans sitting neatly and calmly. I spent 20 minutes just attempting to get them close enough together to get a group picture. Neither Ty nor Aaron would sit still long enough to get a really good picture. They were having more fun playing. Next time I am going to bribe them with promises of McDonalds and icecream!

Well one of our goldfish died the other day. The boys handled it well. As I was fishing him out of the tank Ty asked if he could hold him. Then Aaron wanted to hold him. When Ty asked why he couldn't hold the dead fish  I told him if he held the dead fish, then Aaron would want to and Aaron would just try to eat it.  Ty asked Aaron "Aaron do you want to eat the fish?" And Aaron said...."Yeah". So the fish just went down the toilet quickly.  Oh the joys of boys.

I don't have much to report. Fall is coming on us. The leaves on the river are just starting to turn. Several of the cottonwoods have patches of bright yellow leaves. I stepped outside the other day and in a matter of 2 days the willow in the backyard had turned a very pretty shade of yellow.  Hard to believe its nearly the end of September. In just a few weeks we will be picking pumpkins at the pumpkin patch.

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Sept 11, 2008

Well the cooler wet weather has remained. It has been wonderful. I cannot believe how green the pastures are right now. Usually this time of year the land is parched and dry shaded in browns and greys. I was driving home from work yesterday afternoon and enjoyed the view at the river. The cottonwoods are  lush and the pasture is covered in sheets of yellow sunflowers.

Today we went for a drive around Arkalon park and I could not help but take a lot of pictures of the wildflowers. There are flowers I have never seen before adding shocking splotches of color to the countryside.

Ryan and I took Ty and Aaron down the nature trail at Arkalon Park. We warned Ty to watch for snakes. He had it figured that if a snake bit his old running shoe it would taste nasty and the snake would just spit his shoe out and not bite him. I am glad we did not have to test his theory! But it was so fun to watch the boys run and explore. I think  Aaron managed to find every sticker on the trail and we had to stop a few times and pull them off his pants.

There go the boys!

So tonight when the boys are in bed Ryan and I are going to retire to the backporch and light a fire in the outdoor fire pit. I can't wait to relax on the porch swing and be lulled by the sounds of crickets and the dancing fire. If its a little cool that is OK, I will just snuggle up a little closer to my husband.

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Sept 7, 2008

Wow....it feels like fall and we are loving it. The last week has been cool and rainy. I cannot believe how fast it has cooled off. I would be happy with 3 or 4 months of this weather. We are able to get outside to play and actually enjoy it.

Labor Day weekend was pretty fun with the Little World's Fair. Ryan and I both worked so I missed out on the parade and turtle races, but the boys had a blast participating. Ryan led the parade in his Sheriff's truck again this year with Riley beside him. Riley was pretty excited he got to work the sirens. Ty decided it would be better to catch candy....I guess when you are 3 candy is a priority. I am sure Aaron just did not care too much. Since I was working I did not get any pictures to post.

As is tradition we found the boys some turtles for the Turtle Downs. It took hours of driving the countryside, but we finally found 4 of them. They picked the ones they thought were the fastest to race. Tylers got 2nd in his heat and won $1.50. A fortune for a 3 year old.  Rileys turned out to be a dud, but he didn't really care. I am sure Grandma and Papa were glad neither turtle won its heat. I think they had 9 heats of turtles. That is a lot of box turtles.

Riley is enjoying getting out and riding his bike. He has even been allowed to go ride a little ways with friends. He and his friend Demetrio have a good time biking. Ty doesn't understand why he can't go too. It breaks my heart to see him upset that he is left out. Its also just as hard to let Riley have that little bit of independence to go out and do things with a friend. But I guess I can't hold him back. He is growing up whether I like it or not. The toothfairy got to visit us this week. Riley lost his first tooth at school. Just another milestone both Ryan and I were not ready for.

Ryan is on the CRT team for the sheriff's dept. Its their version of a SWAT team. He brought his gear home and Ty and Aaron were so interested in his stuff and wanted to try it on. Tyler loves anything to do with Daddy's work and I will be surprised if he doesn't go in to law enforcement. Aaron in the spiderman PJs was giving me his mean look. Too funny.

So other than the Labor Day festivities and playing outside we are not up to much. Just enjoying being outside and being together. I have not been very good about making sure I take pics of the boys together. I attempted some this morning, but it is near impossible to get all 3 looking at the camera and smiling normally at the same time. Oh well.

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August, 25, 2008

Well 5 days off of work goes by pretty quick. I would have to say I spent the first 2 days lounging. I read a book on the back porch in the morning while the kids played. The mornings this week have been pretty cool so it was very enjoyable to relax on the porch swing. The next 2 days were not much more productive and today was a vacation day with my husband.

Friday evening we went hunting for box turtles. We are coming up to Labor Day and all the festivities of the Little World's Fair. The boys just can't miss out on Turtle Downs and are beginning to worry we won't find them turtles. We drove the river where every year we find turtles. Unfortunately we were not able to find a turtle, but the evening was gorgeous with a cool breeze that allowed us to drive along with the windows down. The pastures are so green after all the cool weather and rain we had last week. We saw too many deer to count and I got some pictures of them. So until we find turtles Ryan will be patrolling the dirt roads and evenings this week will be spent on the great hunt.

Saturday we joined our friends the Headricks at Mead Lake where they were camping. The boys got to go fishing, borrowing Emily and Sara's poles. Riley caught 8 little bluegill and was thrilled to show off his fishing prowess. I forgot to bring my camera so I missed so many precious shots of the kids playing. I think Aaron and Ty have a crush on little Sara.

Today Ryan and I had a play day. We headed to Mead Lake after getting the kids to the babysitter. The fishing was a bust since it was actually cold. Yes I know those of you in Canada are laughing at me. But when you are expecting 80 degrees and sun and you get 60 and rain with a cold wind......fishing in shorts and a t-shirt is just not very enjoyable. But we went for a walk on the hiking trail and hung out in the shelter in the trees. We enjoyed the quiet time together. We spent the afternoon prairie dog hunting (no prairie dogs were actually harmed). I wish I had brought my camera hunting. Sitting in the field we were surrounded by fragrant sage brush and beautiful wild flowers.

So the next two days will be spent working at the hospital. I am looking forward to Thursday and Friday....two more days with my beautiful boys.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

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August 21, 2008,

What a week. Riley is enjoying school as best as we can tell. When we ask him how school is he says "good" and goes about his merry way. He is very excited about a flier he brought home for boy scouts. We are going to sign him up and I hope he really enjoys it. He was even more excited about the scouts than he was about t-ball. Tyler is going about the business of being 3. I am second guessing whether we should have put him in preschool or not. He is so smart and the other day was writing a "T" on the top of his water bottle to mark it as his and was upset when it was not a perfect T. I was pretty impressed with the T. Aaron spends his days being spoiled and cute. He is talking more and more. Unlike his brothers who are getting darker hair every day his hair seems to be turning a nice ripend wheat color, much like his Daddy's looked when he was little.

This last weekend Ryan and I took a weekend trip to Pratt just the two of us. It was wonderful to get away and enjoy adult time together. I got to sleep until 7 am uninterrupted for the first time in probably 6 years. We hiked around on the walking trails on the river there and had a wonderful dinner at their Mexican restaurant. We focus so much on the kids and work and just life in general we forget about each other. Funny how getting away from "life" we remembered why we love each other.

The weather last week was cool and rainy, leaving everything  green and lush. I am loving it! Tonight we are going on the yearly hunt for box turtles for the labor day turtle races. So I will pack my camera and take some pictures of the green pastures. An unusual sight in southwest Kansas in August.

I am off work for 5 days. Time to mess around in the garden a little. I haven't really been out there in a couple weeks so I am sure I have all sorts of veggies to pick . My cucumbers are starting to come on. Maybe I will get pickles made afterall. The peach jam turned out wonderful and we are going through it pretty quick. I might have to get back out to the orchard to get some more and make just one more batch.  Aaron enjoys the green peppers we have out there. He will eat most of one like an apple. They boys eat the green beans off the vines and as soon as a cucumber is big enough to eat it gets sliced up for a snack. I am so glad they love vegetables so much.  

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August 14, 2008

What a whirlwind the last 10 days have been. It is already the middle of August. Today was Riley's first day of school. He is old enough to walk the block to the school by himself. Not that I felt good about seeing him leave this morning by himself. He just got home excited about his new teacher.  I paced the back porch waiting to see his blue t-shirt and neon green backpack round the corner and head down the alley. Ryan "patrolled" the school and the street he walked down until he reached the alley. So we are both nervous about letting him go out alone.

There he goes at 8 am off to school.

Last night we went to pick peaches. They are so good off the tree. They are warm, juicy and sweet. Aaron had the best time of the boys. He picked and ate, picked and ate. At one time he was eating on 2 peaches and saying "apples good". He was hilarious. Ty thought it was great for about one tree then all we heard was "when are we going home?" Riley was worried he might get dirty so he didn't pick much. It was still a lot of fun. Now what to do with 24 pounds of peaches......I have already made 2 batches of jam. Ty wants me to grill them like I did last year. It made them even sweeter especially topped with icecream. A very delectable treat for sure.

The boys have been pretty active lately. They watch me exercise and decide they want to too.

Lets get physical....physical.

Some pics we snapped by the fountain in Landmark Center.

So as usual it seems life is screaming by at an insane pace. Just looking at pictures of the boys each week and I cannot believe how much they change. They are growing up so very fast.

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August 4, 2008,

Home today with Ty. He climbed in to my bed early this morning and said his tummy hurt. One feel of his hot little face and I knew he was sick. He is the easiest sick kid and sometimes I never realize how sick until he is better. I can put  him up on the couch with a movie and his baby jaguar and he is pretty much set for a couple of hours. But I had to call in to work today. Its a horrible tug of war when you are a working mom. I feel guilty for calling in and feel guilty for feeling guilty......how is it even a choice if your child needs you at home? Of course my child comes first.  So today Ty and I will cuddle on the couch and hopefully with some of mommy's love and a little rest he will be all better by this evening when his brothers come home from the babysitters.

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July 31, 2008

The other day I actually did make jelly and it is very good. So.....now everyone knows what to expect for Christmas, if there is any left. We have given some away already. I made fresh bread and it was so delicious on warm bread. Yes...call me little miss suzy homemaker, just don't ask how clean my house is!

a handful of plums

and the finished product

Riley trying the plums. They were kind of sour.

Tyler amazes me with his computer skills. He gets on noggin.com and plays games. He follows directions and catches on  fast.  The arrow flies all over the screen as he manoevers the mouse. HE IS ONLY 3!!!

And how sweet is this? All 3 boys love to curl up and cuddle together in Riley's bed. Naptime is such a wonderful thing!

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July 28, 2008

No pictures today. The boys are down the hall playing so I thought I would put a little blurb on here. Seems July has flown by and I feel like we have not accomplished much. We have not gone anywhere on vacation and we have not spent as much time at the lake as I thought we would. We are going to pick sandhill plums tonight and I am getting together with my mother-in-law to make jelly tomorrow. The corn is ready to go pick so I imagine we will venture out to get some fresh corn sometime this week. The week after that I hope to go pick some peaches at the Orchard. If the jelly turns out I am going to make some peach preserves. I love peach preserves! I certainly have enough to do and in no way am I bored. Maybe I am just longing for a little vacation from the everyday. I am picturing a cabin in the mountains where its cool at night and the only sounds in the evening are waves lapping at the shore of a lake and an occasional loon call. Thinking of the heat outside my cool airconditioned house and the dry parched pastures that sounds like heaven to me.

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July 23, 2008

It is going to be another hot one today. I am doing  a quick post then out to work in the yard before it becomes too unbearably hot. The flower garden I put in out front is in desperate need of weeding. I am trying to figure what the point was in putting landscape fabric down was if it still lets weeds through. Seems like a lot of wasted effort to me!

Some pics out of the veggetable garden taken this morning.  They boys are excited over everything that is growing. Everything seems to be doing very well thanks to lots of watering and a little humid weather.

A giant sunflower in the backyard.

Everyone.....have a great day. I am off to slave in the yard!

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July 20, 2008

Its 100 degrees out and we are hiding inside in the comfort of the air conditioner. The boys played outside this morning in the backyard but with the rising temps they are happy to play inside until after supper. Unfortunately for me that means one messy loud house for the day!

We have settled in to a routine after supper of cleaning up then playing in the backyard. The boys get to run off some extra energy from being contained indoors all day. I guess its good summer is going by so fast.....cooler weather will be on the way!

We are eating a ton of zucchini. Last night I made a very tasty zucchini bread. Aaron and Riley helped. Riley is getting pretty good with the mixer. Aaron took a large spoon and was "stirring". Needless to say by the end he was one sticky mess. Ryan declared the zucchini bread a hit since he normally does not like it and he devoured two pieces and had one for breakfast this morning.

I should have taken a picture of the corn I harvested from the garden last night. Ryan's corn only grew 2 feet tall this year then tassled out. The boys and I picked "mini" ears yesterday and ended up with corn about the size of canned baby corn. They were super sweet. So I put some butter on them and wrapped them in foil and  grilled them. They were super tasty and I was happy they weren't a waste. The green beans I picked were pretty good as well. Each day we get to pick more fresh veggies. I am just disappointed I have to wait on cucumbers. My second planting has not even flowered yet. Good thing it stays warm right to  the end of September because at this rate I won't be picking them until then!

My pretty pink geraniums in the container on the back porch.

Yes....that is supper in Aaron's hair.

My little kitchen helper loading the dishwasher for me. He arranged and rearranged the dishes then shoved the door shut. I waited until he was in bed then redid it.

So no pics of the older two. Seems they were not doing anything cute this week! Maybe next week.

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July 14, 2008

I thought June went by fast and here we are in the middle of July. In one more month Riley will be back in school. If only time would slow down just a little! Between work and home duties we haven't played a whole lot this last couple weeks. We went and picked sandhill plums the other night. I am planning to make sandhill plum jelly this weekend. If it turns out then everyone knows what they are getting for Christmas!

Sandhill plum thicket. That is Kismet in the background.

Plums!

Once ripe they taste just like a regular plum.

One evening we cruised the countryside as the  sun was setting over the fields. Since I happened to have my camera I snapped a few shots. (My page is called prairiesunsets afterall). I have a disc of pictures of sunsets from my father in law that I want to add on here. But you know me......Procrastination is my middle name.

                        And some pictures of my morning glories that are taking off up the fence:                         

My garden has taken off very well this last couple weeks. We picked our first tomato and split it between me and the boys. I am looking forward to lots of sweet tomatos this year. This morning I ran in to the house to get a bowl to put some green beans in and left Aaron unattended in the garden for a minute. When I got back he had a little green tomato in hand and was trying to eat it. Before I scolded him I ran and got my camera. It was too good of a shot to pass up.  He ate a pretty good amount of it before he decided green ones are not as good as red ones.  Riley and Ty make several trips a day in to the garden to check the progress of everything. We have a large toad out there that gives us a scare almost everyday. They are enjoying peas off the vine. They even like the green beans raw. I say have at it boys. Fresh veggies straight from the vine.....can't get any better than that. I just hope Aaron stops picking the tomatos before they ripen!

We also have had an abundance of Praying Mantis. They are just little babies right now and I am glad to have them as they eat other bugs. When they get big they freak me out a little, but the little ones are cool to look at. I managed a pic of one of the babies. We had a bigger one on the living room window this evening . I called him a teenager as he wasn't full grown yet. The boys were excited to get an up close view. 

 So a long post today. I guess I had more to tell than I thought. Although I usually  think nothing goes on in our lives, in looking at this page our lives are very full. Besides all these little things add up to make very special times in our lives. I hope the boys look back and remember all these little moments. To me they are so very precious.

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July 5, 2008

Well the fireworks were a hit with the boys. They only lasted 2 innings at the ball game before they became bored. Baseball becomes very boring when you are waiting in anticipation for fireworks. We met Ryan's family at our usual viewing spot and "tailgated" until the show. It was a fun time. Sonic drinks and snacks for all. Riley and Ty were totally absorbed with the fireworks. I always feel a little let down when they end. There is all this build up and excitement and then its done after 20 minutes of bright colored lights and loud booms. Still the wonder on the boys' faces makes it very much worth it. Besides I still get excited when that first firework goes off lighting up the sky in brilliant color. And we have made a tradition of meeting with Ryan's family in the same spot. Next year I vote we not show up so early and bring a cooler full of drinks and a barbeque and do some real tailgating.

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July 4, 2008

I am sitting here trying to figure out where June went. It seems that the months fly by now. Today is Fourth of July. I am charging my camera batteries in hopes of catching some good pictures of the boys at the fireworks. We plan to go in and catch the Liberal BJ baseball game then watch the fireworks. The boys are down for a nap right now. It was easy to convince them they needed to rest since Riley and Ty are very excited about staying out until after dark and watching the fireworks. I am sure Aaron does not care, but he is taking a nice long nap too. Hopefully it will deter any major meltdowns tonight.

The other day Ryan had to take his Sheriff truck in to town to get serviced. Rather than leave him stranded in Liberal all day we went in to town in the morning and spent sometime at the park. The boys think its fun to play at different parks and try out new playground equipment. I have discovered that Aaron has absolutely no fear. The park  has  a "rock wall" that  Riley and Ty scaled to get up to a slide. Aaron wanted to follow his brothers up that  wall.  I told him no and when I wasn't looking he climbed right up there. I had to pull him off when he was half way up.

Aaron the brave

Just like Spiderman!

Riley climbing the rock wall.

Me and my two big boys. Aaron was too busy running back to the playground equipment to stop for a picture with mom. 

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June 29, 2008

I am off work today on call since patient cencus at the hospital is down. Its a nice extra day off with my family, if only the boys would quit arguing. It was a beautiful morning this morning. Ryan worked extra hard yesterday mowing and cleaning up the yard. Our first morning glory is blooming and everything finally looks green. Ryan finished my compost bin so I am excited to start filling it up. Next year we will have compost for the garden! Here are a few shots of the garden. The blue planter has flowers that I planted along with a "surprise" corn Ty planted in there. I actually like the way it looks. A little unique.

We get some shade in our west facing backyard about 8 pm. Friday night after 102 degrees weather we let the boys stay up and play outside in the kiddie pool and enjoy the evening. They had a blast.

Tyler......little muscle boy.

Aaron swinging.

And our concentration camp victim.

 (we really do feed him)

The dogs enjoy it when we get outside more. They get to run around with the kids, drink out of the kiddie pool and chase the neighbor's cats out of the yard.  

Big Jake

Sophie girl

I can't believe our boxers are already 7. Jake is getting so gray and walks like an old man. They were our first "kids" and as we have had more of our own they have been pushed to the side. They are  not loved less, just not as much of a priority. They have been so good with all the kids. Sophie is still a great running partner when I lace up the shoes and head out. Besides who could resist those chocolate eyes?

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 June 26, 2008

Well 3 very tired little boys are tucked in to bed and one very tired mom is just not ready to retire for the night.

Saturday I decided to take some summer pictures of the boys. I think I may send out summer cards. They were dressed in new clothes their Uncle Randy sent and I picked out a decent enough spot in the backyard for some quick snapshots. It is near impossible to get 3 boys to look anywhere in the same direction at the same time. But I think I got a couple cute ones that will do.

trouble comes in 3's

Riley                                                                            Tyler                                                                          Aaron

 Sunday we went fishing at Meade Lake. We left early in the morning and it was beautiful.  I packed my camera this time.....only to find I had forgotten to put the memory card back in! So you will just have to take my word when I tell you about how many giant fish we caught since I don't have any photographic proof!  Actually the only fish we dragged out of the pond was a small catfish Ryan caught. Riley was  frustrated that he didn't get much more than a bite. Ty has the attention span of, well, a 3 year old. He did one good cast out and reeled his pole in and handed it to me. So I spent some time fishing with his spiderman fishing pole. Aaron spent his time climbing up and down on the boulders. We had a pretty good time until the end when Aaron was exhausted and Ty was bored. Ryan and I have to keep reminding ourselves these things are just going to get easier as the boys get older. And in 10 years I will be happy if we can drag them out to do things with us.

Our weather is hot and we have been dumping the water on our garden. I am glad to say it seems to be doing well. I am hoping in another month to be over run with fresh tomatos, green beans and cucumbers. There is nothing better than veggies straight from the garden. I may even try my hand at canning this year. Of course I say that every year and so far have only done one batch of pickles.

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June 16,2008

On Friday Riley and Tyler got to go ride in our friend Jeff's combine for wheat harvest. They were so excited....it was all they could talk about all day. I told the boys about MY experience riding for harvest. Ryan and I were newly married and I knew nothing about farming let alone wheat harvest. One June afternoon we headed out to the field where Jeff and  his crew were cutting.  I climbed up in the combine with Jeff. After one trip around the field Jeff asked if I wanted to drive the combine. In retrospect I think he was only joking, but I enthusiastically took over the drivers seat. Apparently my combine driving skills were not great as I have not been invited to help in wheat harvest in 10 years! This time of year the fields are full of combines cutting and all 3 boys get excited over tractors, trucks and just about any farm equipment. It amazes me that they can name different pieces of equipment and know if its a John Deere, Case, or Caterpillar. Must be a boy thing!

Last night we FINALLY got a little rain. The sky had been clear all day when all of a sudden storm clouds starting blowing up. It was cool to watch and of course I could not help but take some pictures. 

A rainbow over a wheat field after the storm passed.

the angel cloud the boys pointed out to us in front of the house.

You could tell we had not seen rain in a long time. Kids were out playing in it, adults were standing on porches or at the door watching it. I was happy not to have to drag the hose out to the garden this morning. Mother nature does a much better job of giving the plants a drink than I ever could.

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June 13, 2008,

I am so glad my husband got me a new memory card for my camera......I was going through photo withdrawal!  This morning I decided that gardening with your children is both a rewarding and frustrating experience. As Riley and I were replanting cucumber seeds, Aaron was walking around in Dad's corn rows and either smashing the corn down with his feet or pulling it out of the ground altogether. I am happy to say we had an extra packet of seeds so we were able to replace the lost ones.

The last two days have not been terribly hot. This morning Riley and Ty biked while we walked and Aaron got to ride in the stroller. Tyler has not figured out that when we say a car is coming and to get over to the side of the road that he should NOT stop and stay right where he is. I don't know how to get it through his head without him getting run over first. It makes for a stressful experience! Of course Kismet has just one paved road....Main street. And with his training wheels that is the only place we can bike for now.

Aaron ready to go!

We went for a short drive. I wanted to go to the park and have a picnic lunch, but Ryan was less than enthusiastic. Needless to say we saw 4 deer poking their heads up out of the crops. I think they were does with babies. It amazes me that they live a good portion of time unseen in the crops and grasses on this flat land. When Ryan and I first married I did not believe him when he said there were deer here. I could not imagine this would be a habitat that would support any sort of population.

                                                                A nd now some pretty sunflower pictures:

I can't resist these happy flowers. They are so determined, growing along  the dry sandy ditches.

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June 4, 2008 9:15 pm

 Today was a perfect day. I don't say that often, but I will say it about today. Ryan was off work today and we actually spent a wonderful day as a family. No rushing about, no sitting at home watching TV. The weather started out cool and comfortable with very little wind. Off to Meade we went for burgers from the diner to take to the park. There we played....by we, I mean all 5 of us. They have new equipment that the boys quickly got tired of. However the old monkey bars, swings and merry go round, that Ryan played on as a child I might add, were a hit. The boys thought it was cool that I could still do a flip on the rings. Ryan decided he should not swing on his stomach on the bar  anymore as it took 20 minutes for him to regain feeling in his legs after one flip around.

We were enjoying the day so much that we opted to head to Meade Lake for fishing. By the time we got around there it was 105 degrees out with a hot wind. It felt much as I imagine a good blast from Hells door would feel like, but it did not stop us.  The boys soon got tired of no fish biting so I took them to the beach. Aaron, who is afraid of the kiddie pool, ran straight into the water. We waded around for a while in the murkey water not going past knee deep. After all there are fish in there.

I found some nice flat rocks and taught Riley how to skip rocks. I have a clear memory of Dad teaching me to skip rocks. We spent many summer evenings at Cottonwood skipping those perfect smooth stones  after taking a dip in the lake. As I said it was absolutely perfect. I wish  I had  had my camera, but the memory card is broken. I kept thinking I should be taking pictures of all these perfect moments. But today I actually participated instead of hiding behind the lens hollering at the kids to look like they are having fun. No I don't have any pictures to remember the day by, but it is a day I won't forget. I don't think Riley or Ty will either.  

Quote of the day: "Why don't you work on catching a fish for me"  Tyler Reid instructed his Dad as Ty took off to play, leaving his spiderman fishing pole in his Dad's capable hands.