Cough cough fiftjdajbbbddj

Today is my fiftjdabfhkkshh birthday.  I had a really great day!  I went with Jim, Mallory and Grace to watch Colin compete in the international lineman’s rodeo.  It was amazing to get to spend some time with him and Spencer.  We watched a couple of his events, and had a nice lunch.  I admit to wimping out (it was really cold today)!  We ran to get a few groceries, and ran a couple of errands.  

I had a nice visit with Cameron on the phone.  He was smoking meat for tailgating today.  

We came home to a nice surprise.  Preston came home!  I was happy to see him!  It was a great day!  

Other things going on this weekend, the 4-H participated in the hay bale decorating contest at the fall festival in town.  The girls and I made flowers for it.  It was a good cooperative effort and the results are above someplace.  We enjoyed making the flowers.  It was a fun little creative project.  

This evening we made tacos, watched the KSU game and Preston demonstrated the moves he has learned in his swing dancing class he is taking at St. Isadore’s.  I’m happy he is having so much fun in Manhattan.  

I love getting to visit with my kids!  Getting to see Grace was an extra special gift!  Having time to hang out with my main man was pretty great too.  My birthday was amazing, and I definitely am looking forward to my next chapter.  

Sunday wrap up

Since I had to work tonight at the liquor store, and this was the weekend for 48 hours of 4-H, and we had a 1pm community service project time, we decided to have brunch instead of Sunday dinner.  It was fun and although it probably makes me seem weirder than I am, I always forget how much I love breakfast food, and this was sooo good.   Side note - in this house, breakfast has always been on your own.   I just have never really fixed breakfast for the kids or Jim.  We keep a variety of things around that we grab on the go.  Things like cereal, sometimes I make breakfast burritos or waffles and freeze them, we usually have bagels or a granola bar.  Mornings are hard, and we just never make the time.  When I have time to actually cook and eat breakfast it makes me happy!   Evelyn also loves breakfast foods, although I believe that her mom is pretty good about actually cooking for her.  Anyway, that took a strange turn huh.   Sorry.  I was happy to have a little time with family before we were off and running.  

48 hours of 4-H is a weekend that the National 4-H foundation picks out.  Every club is supposed to come up with a community service project to do during that weekend.  A way to make community service a priority and teach kids to live out making the best better.  The project we originally came up with fell apart.  Luckily for me, Jim always has projects the city could use help with.  We helped Him recycle paint, we cleaned up trash around the city lake, cleaned out some old planter pots and recycled the dirt into some ruts that needed filled, and fixed the exercise equipment at the lake's walking path.  We had a pretty good turn out, and zero complainers.  It was pretty fast, and Jim was pretty happy about having several of his projects knocked out!  

Jim and Andrew then took Evelyn fishing, followed by Mallory attempting to get some photos of GG with her great grandkids.  

Mallory stopped by the liquor store afterwards to tell me that photographing 2 babies and a 4-year-old was not the easiest thing she has ever tried to do!  I kind of got a kick out of the pictures she took.  I love them.....because they look like real life!  

This weekend was busy, but fun.  I love this time of the year!  I am trying hard to wrap my mind around it being October already.  I wish I could slow things down a little bit, but that is just not how it works.  Weekend over, new week, new levels of crazy, new people to torture.  Off we go.  

We did it.

Ever look at a weekend and wonder why some of the stuff couldn’t fall at any other time?  Or wonder how in the world you’ll find the time or energy to get it done plus still get to the weekend necessities like grocery getting and laundry?  Yea- well this weekend made me have those sort of invasive thoughts.  Kaw Valley Farm Tour weekend….one of our favorite things.  Intent - get up early, do a few loads of laundry, get chores done, leave for a few hours of touring.  Reality- get up early, do the aforementioned things, but they take longer than you intended, so you don’t leave early.  We still managed to hit the farm  tour, just not very thoroughly.  

I enjoyed hanging with Saige and Harper.  On top of the tour, we also hit Walmart for bridal shower, wedding and birthday gifts, and did grocery pick up.  We ran home, unloaded our vast array of items, cooked food for the church anniversary, and got ready for a wedding.  

Jim’s boss (Mayor Jon)’s daughter got married today.  Erin is a lifelong friend of Mallory and Madison.   Mallory was in the wedding, and I’m not sure they could have had a nicer day for an outdoor wedding!   We enjoyed the wedding, had fun hanging out with the girls, and catching up with old friends.  

There’s no way I could have made it without help.  While we were at the wedding and reception, Quincy took Harper and Saige to our church’s 160th anniversary mass and dinner.  The archbishop had mass, Saige was a server.  Grandma tried to get a photo but she put her hand up.  It’s as good as it’s gonna get.  I heard the church was full and the food and mass were good.  Thank you Quincy for your help!   

And now it is getting late, but we are trying to get laundry done because tomorrow is even nuttier!  I’m thinking I might need a weekend to recover from our weekend!  

October is full

Well, we turned the calendar page and we were met with a giant mess.   Some of it is fun stuff.  Some of it is just life.  Some of it is stuff we obligated ourselves to, and sort of wish we hadn’t.  We will survive, but I believe it will be November before we have even a moderate chance at relaxing. The new month did bring with it cooler weather, which is a mixed bag for me.  It is nice to have the house opened up, not sweat to death on the bus, and thinking about ths upcoming inspections at work is definitly more appealing when it’s not hot!   I was sad about  the official ending of pool season though.  I was in on the 3rd of October. Jim and I pulled the stairs, which means if you get in now, you’ll be in there until next summer!    October swim-  has to be some sort of record?    

Our church is celebrating its 160th anniversary this weekend. The archbishop is coming to celebrate mass and eat dinner.  You know what cannot happen?  The archbishop cannot sit on dusty chairs!   The church ladies had a cleaning night.  They asked for the RE kids to come. Saige and Harper are in confirmation class, so they needed to help.  Which is how we spent our Wednesday night cleaning the church basement.  I’m not 100% convinced it was all that necessary since they are setting up a tent and tables outside, but we just can’t chance it. Saige was asked to serve the mass with the archbishop and seems moderately excited about it.   

This is definitly not the best photography but I have to show you the world’s most resilient and stubborn spider.  For 5 solid weeks, every single morning at 5:50 the girls and I trudge down to do chores, and she has built a web across the door to the boxcar where we keep our hay.  I hate to do it, but I have to take the web down in order to get hay out. Every single evening around 7, we re-pen up the pony and the goats for bed, and I throw them a flake of hay- and I have to remove the web all over again. So twice a day, every day for 5 weeks I have removed her web and she has rebuilt it.  If I were her, I would be better at taking a hint!   

The kid who lives far, far away was playing volleyball.  That ended this week, so my route is longer at night again.  I don’t actually mind, as the weather is beautiful and the leaves are just starting to change (what hasn’t dried up and fallen off already that is).  

Tonight, Jim said he would take care of dinner - which I sincerely appreciated.  He brought home pizza.  As we were all sitting around eating, we heard the worst noises coming from outside.  These darn goats were climbing my trellis, knocked over the fairy garden, and munched down the clematis.   But tomorrow, when it is time for us to be home for the evening, I guarantee I will let them back out to munch around on the yard because they are just too cute.  Look at Mr. Mackey’s sweet widdle face.  I also threw out some enchiladas, I watched the wild cats come out of the trees and one grabbed an entire enchilada and sprinted back into the trees.  Then the goats figured out they actually really love enchiladas.  Poor cats!  

I love the 1000 faces of Wrenley!   She is such a sweet thing.  I can’t get over how fast she’s growing and how expressive she is.  

Lawson is also growing like a weed.  Such sweet babies.  

I am looking forward to the mostly fun weekend.  We just need Friday to  be kind to us so we can get crack-a-lacking with the fun stuff.  

Sunday - ❤️

I love Sunday.  It is made sweeter when the kids come to visit.  

I wanted to go see Preston today, at least for a little while, but Jim was not feeling the best, and so we decided to put it off (again).  Jim is having issues with his sinuses, and just wasn’t up to a car ride.  

We still had Sunday dinner.  Evie had her friend Claire over for dinner as well.  They are a hot mess.  Two BIG personalities there!  

We have been saving our hay by letting the vagrants out to graze the yard.  Coco is mostly good, but occasionally  gives us a little grief when it’s time to pen up at night.  These 3 goats? Would literally follow you anywhere.  They make me laugh with how much like weird, loud dogs they are!  

It is October 1.  I didn’t get in the pool today, but I did get in yesterday!   It is likely i will be in tomorrow, because it is easier to get the leaves out, and it has been in the mid 90’s.  I’m happy to get this much use out of it, but it really is weird.  I’m not complaining!  I also admit that although we turned off our air conditioning a couple weeks ago, I broke this weekend and turned it back on.   I couldn’t sleep!  Jim is definitely happy with my decision!  I think w will be able to ditch it here pretty soon, but for now, I’m so glad we have it. 

Weekends are always too short, but it really shortens it if you lose a day.  I hope this week will be a little calmer than the last couple have been!