Our B-A-B-Y turned "8"!!!

It seems like its gone by so fast.  Our youngest son has just turned 8 years old!  Austin Parker (1st & middle name-I call him that) is so full of life and ready to take on anything fun, playful and muddy! I love it.  Having boys has taught me so much.  I love that too!  

Every birthday we do a little something special for each of our children.  Since we don't DO a big party  'EV'ery year, we always do this one little thing..we find out what they've been wanting and get it for them, then we get 2 balloons, a cool card and wrap the balloon strings around the gift and place it at the end of their bed. (With the ribbon, little package, balloons and all, it looks so cool to wake up to on your birthday) When they wake up on their birthday, the first thing they see is their balloons and little gift waiting for them.  They come running out of their room, bringing their gift, and ready to open it up.  

This year, Austin has been enjoying playing football and his favorite team is a local college team.  So, his gift was a cool mouth piece, 'eye' black, and a jersey...complete with the #8!  

 Another thing we always do is let the birthday kid pick everything they want to eat, all day long, for every meal.   For breakfast he wanted his favorite 'HOMEMADE PANCAKES' with homemade syrup, and also some bacon with OJ.  Nachos and salsa for lunch and then we took him to his favorite restaurant.  It's one where he can eat as much as he wants and then lots of 'dessert'!!  Can you guess...Ryan's!  Not my fav, but afterall, it was his day.  Thank goodness he got a good breakfast and lunch.

 Then this year we decided to have a BIG BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR HIM.  He wanted to play football with his friends and eat cake and icecream and lots of chips...we've been planning for a few weeks and gave out the invitations a week ago...so much excitement...we wake up this morning and it's pouring down rain, thunderstorms expected A-L-L day and lots of wind.  So.  What to do?!?  I tell him, "Let's just have party here with family, put out all the balloons & streamers, get out the cake-icecream-chips and extra cupcakes along with the soda and candy...we're gonna have a party...right here and you can play games, watch a movie, play playstation football, and anything else you want...IT'S YOUR DAY!   Let's just have fun."  

That's just what we're doing. Right now he's having a blast with his bro's and sis's and I'm sitting here posting about it all.  That's the end of posting for me...I'm going to go play with them and eat a cupcake & doritos...we already had one for breakfast...and lunch...now for snack. 

One of the benefits of summer...

...is enjoying the fruit of your labor. I was checking the garden and noticed the watermelon looking very nice. The kids were just begging to pick one and I wasn't sure if they were ready yet. Guess who won that little battle?!?! Haa-Haa~we all did! Here's the real deal. And yes, it was absolutely deeee-lish! It was crisp, juicy, very sweet and wasn't stringy at all. I can not eat melons with that stringy texture! Eeuuuwe!!! The kids even commented how there were no strings in it. The peas are coming along very well and so are the additional green beans we planted. The tomatoes and 1st set of green beans are pretty much finished, so we are pulling up the plants this week. The carrots, peppers and lopes are still doing great. As well as the other watermelons. I've picked so many peppers I think I'm going to make jalapeno preserves. We're having stuffed peppers for dinner tonight. We checked the carrots last week and they are looking wonderful. Amazing!!

Our Little Farm...it's growing!

Bit by bit and little by little, you could say we are growing...except that it hasn't been exactly a little or a bit. Does the term "Just add water" mean anything? If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here is many thousands. Enjoy the story and the photos!! Growing up I always had land to run and play on. My brothers and I would keep busy just by being outside. I can't remember a time when we didn't have some kind of unique animal around: squirrel, snakes, rabbits, pigs, cows, of course horses, a pet owl-it was white...I found it and put it in a box. I even had 2 pet alligators-that was something else. Always dogs and never a cat except once...then she wasn't...my Dad, who is a hunter of wild animals...deer, pig, bear, gator, brought me a little piglet(I named him Wilbur) and I raised it all the way till it was huge. I could even walk him around with a rope. I went on vacation with my cousin and came back...at breakfast everyone was laughing and then I realized...we were having bacon for breakfast. What a shame for me. I'm not a big meat eater still..LOL I had lots of cousins to play with too. Jacque and I went on many adventures into the 'jungle'!! Our little brothers always wanted to come along, but we were too fast and got out the door from them every time. By the time they found us, we were up a tall oak tree and watched as they ran underneath looking for us! I had a best friend growing up named Julie. She and I did all kinds of things together. She was a country girl too. We knew each other since we were little, but in the 6th grade we became 'best friends'. We loved horses! She had a beautiful horse and a little Shetland pony, named Comet. And yes, he was a little comet...shooting to the right as I went to the left. It was too funny. Then my Dad got me a horse of my own. She was wonderful. Her name was Taquita. And she was as gorgeous as her name. I used to ride in the Silver Spurs Rodeo and in the local parades. That was so much fun. I was part of the quadrille, which is basically square dancing on horseback and I did a little bit of pole bending and barrel racing. I say that loosely...a little bit. But it was fun and an experience I'll never forget. One time in the quadrille I was knocked off my horse, right in the middle of the entire rodeo. Everything stopped. Here I am laying on the ground, my horse standing over me...a good horse does that, I got my breath, stood up, picked up my cowgirl hat and bowed graciously, tipping my hat at the crowd. I think I got a standing ovation. What made me do that, I do not know! Country living is how I was raised. (I clean up farely well...lol) It's always been in me and I'm amazed at how perfectly God has brought me back to it. In a way I never would have imagined. With my own husband and our precious children. Living out in the country again, I can show our children the ways I was taught and give them another part of me. Something I thought was forgotten. I'm so inspired to see them responding, interacting and giving, the way they do. They seem to love it as much as I did. As much as I still do. It's a serene way to live and a very different lifestyle from today's modern life, but I don't care. It's away from so much 'stuff' that really doesn't matter anyway. You could say we're not exposing them to what goes on in the world. I say you're right! They ARE missing a lot...negative political views, alternative lifestyles, entertainment choices, peer pressure...we are keeping them from that. They will learn the facts of humanity, economics and government issues when the time is right. Just right now isn't the time. We know whose shoulders the government is on. They must be kids and live life to the fullest...God said, "I've come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!" That's what we are doing. That's how we're living!! More ABUNDANTLY!! Thank You Lord...for your ways are higher than ours.

Swing Time!

It was about time to get those swings up, so last week we got it done! Yippee!!! The kids are having a super time. Most of all we did it together. I guess you have figured out that 'TOGETHER' is what we do! Usually, if you see one of us, you'll find the others close by!

Here is Grant hitchin' up the first swing to the limb. Some swing time. Was this ever a favorite way to have fun swinging when you were a kid? Swinging on his tummy and laughing the whole way!

Who is always building something?? He thoroughly enjoys hammering and making stuff!

Enjoying this warm weather together

It is always nice to get together with friends. Especially when the weather warms up and all the kids can get outside. I love to make homemade pancakes and waffles from freshly ground wheat. I know that may sound weird, but they really taste so much better than the other flour. So, Christy and I got together and made some breakfast for us all! Now between us we have 13 children. Not all of them were here this particular day...that is really ok. But we did have a great time and enjoyed a nice breakfast together. Now you know homeschoolers...we do accomplish our studies...here we all are in the kitchen. Time for some fun! Ashley and Christy hard at work! Hee-hee! Love you guys!

A little syrup - homemade!! MMmmmmm...good!

Everyone in the kitchen around my little farm table that Bridget gave me...it just fits me! Thanks Bridget...wish you were here too! And Tammy, and Christy B, and Tammy A, and my Mom, and Von, and Michelle, Andrea, Marsha....

Jesse and Garrett preparing their plates.

Emily, Micaylah, Katelin, Ashley, Christy, Austin, Jesse & Garrett. Me(taking pic).We all sat down and had a nice breakfast of freshly milled, homemade pancakes, waffles, and sausages. Complete with homemade syrup. There was a few pancakes left so we sent them home to Bob and Micheal. (Christy's husband and son). Hope they liked them!

Camille and Ashley are catching up on conversation.

Here's a new 'do' for ya! Turned out pretty Camille :)

Another day on the dirt mound...Jesse and Austin

Jacob is driving this half track, front end loader...big guy!

Emily is holding Dusti, Micaylah and Katelin are keeping Laci still. What sweet friends

We ended the afternoon with some soccer ball and running.

Christy and I got to sit on the patio watching them run and play and talk a while. It was a very nice day...I am looking forward to doing it again soon. Now she is not my neighbor any longer...she is my friend. God has a way of bringing special people into our lives.

If you give a kid some land...

If you give a kid some land he'll probably want to go outside to see it.But of course, he won't be happy just standing there looking at it. He'll want to run and play on it... And after he runs and plays on it, he will want to climb the trees on it,\When he has climbed the trees on it(and not fallen out), he will want to build something on it!Or rake leaves to jump into.

When he's done with that, he'll want to dig in the dirt that is on it.

After he digs awhile, he'll want to play in that dirt. And he'll go looking for the biggest dirt mound he can find.

And he'll run and play and jump and slide all up and down that dirt mound, until he absolutely has dirt from head to toe.

Then he'll wonder why his stomach is growling so loud. So he'll want you to build him a camp fire. After you build the camp fire, he'll probably want some marshmallows to roast. The marshmallow probably won't fill him up enough and he'll still be hungry. So, he'll ask you to get him some hot dogs too.

After you roast the hot dogs he'll probably be ready to go back out onto the land....the end