Farm Fun

Last weekend we went to Mom and Dad’s house to see Derek and Lacie who came to visit for the weekend and make wood.  The girls had a great time visiting their Wagner cousins.  Heidi and Tyler let us borrow their tent trailer for the weekend which was terrific!  We got to combine a good visit home and make it feel like camping – something we’d been trying to do all summer with the girls and never got to – the summer just flew by too fast.   That tent trailer brought back fun memories of our old trailer – it slept all 8 of us.  I’m convinced it’s the funnest kind of trailer to have.

For being in the middle of nowhere, there is sure a lot to do.  One of the major things on the list was to cutesie up the playhouse.  Mom had repainted it inside and out for Kelsey’s wedding but it hasn’t been played in for a really long time – like since Brittany and Reid were in it.  I was excited to share it with Kennedy and Isabella because I have great memories playing in it, sleeping in it, sweeping it and keeping it oh so clean. 

Shane made a new table for it since the round one that used to be in there had a broken leg.  He made this adorable table in a few days out of scrap hardwood he had laying around the garage.  I couldn’t believe it!  Don’t the chairs just make you smile?!  They are so adorable! 

I love how he left it rustic and country looking

Isabella loves it too!

I think its beautiful.  He is so talented.

Mom had given me the original fabric on the curtains but it was really hard to match.  Guess that’s to be expected when the curtains are 20+ years old.  Shane made new dowels and they were hung with care. The girls and I cleaned all the dishes and pots/pans that were in the cupboards and spiffed up the inside.

Isabella: open your eyes!

Everyone is wide eyed for this one.

Dan - playhouse protector.

The girls have been excited to go to Gramma and Grampa’s all summer. One of Isabella’s favorite things there is the chair swing.  You have to pry her out of it – she could swing all day if you let her.

Caleb likes it too

Kennedy also likes the rope swing.  For being afraid of heights she sure likes to go high!

Kennedy is giving Aunt Nicole a good ride.

Kennedy likes riding on driving the 4-wheeler.  Aunt Brittany was really brave and rode with her one day.  

Isabella really tried to get Caleb to go on the 4-wheeler too but he may just try it next year.

We all decided to go the next day.  Shane in this helmet makes me think of Harry & Lloyd on their Vespa. What a good sport!

"We gotta get out of this town!...I'll tell you where. Someplace warm. A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called Aspen."

We all strapped on our head protection and took another ride on Sunday before we left.  Watch out, this just may be our Christmas card picture this year!

Kennedy and Isabella found a tree frog on Saturday.  Kennedy named him Steve and Gramma helped her make a frog habitat for him.  

 

Steve got covered by another pie tin (with air holes punched in the top) but somehow he escaped late Saturday night.  We couldn't drive home without Steve so we had to find a replacement.  We went on a frog hunting adventure to the pond.

Aunt Nicole showed them how to use the boat oar to pick them up.

We found 2 to bring back.  The girls took off happily to make a new frog habitat.  One of them wasn't looking so good; he kinda looked like he wasn't moving very much.  Shane decided to stay back and find another one just in case we lost one.  He is such a thoughtful daddy.

Frog habitat number 2:

Unfortunately, I'm sad to report that none of the frogs made the 2.5 hour drive home to Tri-Cities.  

Aunt Rhonda drove down from Spokane and Gramma and Grampa Rambo drove out to say hi to everyone. It is really hard to snap a picture of Aunt Rhonda - she isn't always a cooperative participant. :) 

I love Caleb's grin - it just makes me smile.

Eli, very content

Eli, not very pleased Great Grampa took his binki.

Eli, all is better now.

 The dogs love the farm too.  On a hot day they like taking refreshing dips in the pond:

The kids played Bocce ball in the front yard and orchard Saturday evening:

Gramma and Eli watched the kids play Bocce ball.

Isabella and Caleb did some digging:

The moon rising in the evening.

It was a great weekend!

Lunchbreak

My schedule really shifted this past couple of weeks.  I don't get home till pretty late most evenings but the tradeoff (if you can call it that) is that I have to take a longer lunch break.  Last week, I had time to go to the park with a good book and eat my sandwich.

It was a nice breath of fresh air and wish I could do it more often (although, if I had to choose, I'd still rather be off before 8:00).

This is on my retirement bucket list: take my dogs, a lawnchair, and have a nice chat by the river.

Isabella Name

Isabella has been practicing her letters.  She used to write all the letters of her name in no particular order and show that that it was her name.  Now she’s writing them all in order and in a line.  

I love the wave she writes her a’s.  They kinda look like q’s.  It’s a circle and a swoop.

Rocket Dogs

The last two weekends we have traveled to the farm.  The dogs love truck rides, even if its just a ride up the street.  If they aren’t laying down they both assume very different positions.

Lady, very smiley, likes looking in the window at us.  She very much likes to see where her peeps are at:

Dan, is our rocket dog.  Ears and jouls flappin’ in the wind:

 Sorry about the picture quality - apparently the back window is dirtier than it appears!

Aprons

Debbie and I drove to Yakima a couple of weekends ago to get the perfect fabric for the playhouse curtain makeover.  On our drive back through Prosser we stopped at a gift shop and came across the perfect apron for Isabella.  Debbie got it for her and she loves it!  Now both girls and I have cute aprons. They do make cooking more fun! 

Back to School Backpack

Kennedy had back to school orientation last week.  Angela, Shane, and I went to get the scoop on her new year and meet her new teacher, Mrs. Sperline.  She is in the “Safe Classroom” with all of the other 5^th graders that have serious allergies.  The teacher is held personally liable for the safety of these kids so no snacks or treats for celebrations are allowed because there is a huge variety of allergies she has to worry about. Instead of treats to celebrate your birthday she gives a late homework pass to the kids during their birthday month. Since Kennedy is a summer birthday she got hers already.  We are in week two and she needed to use it this week! Haha :)

The classroom was decorated with these backpacks that each kid made.  Here is Kennedy’s backpack and first week of school picture:

It touched my heart that she drew me as part of her family portrait.  It may not be the normal traditional family but it is ours.  And I feel very lucky that both of her parents and I can be there all at once to show our support and love for her.

 

First Day of Fifth Grade

Kennedy started 5th grade this week. She is going to be a busy girl this year with 4 dance classes a week and safety patrol.  She is one of the monitors making sure kids cross the street safely after school.

Dan and Lady like walking with Shane up to the school to meet her at the end of the day.