Mojito the Kitty Cat

Miya was barking at something that had gotten up under our truck. I ignored it and figured whatever it was it would just go away. But the next morning, the kids found two kittys. The one was so tame that she just let me pick her right up. We got her all fixed up in the tack room, and hopefully she will kill all the mice that seem to be able to get into everything and make such a mess. Mara loves loves loves the kitty. She is in charge of her now! She is so excited that she now has an animal to take care of just like all the boys. Let's hope she finds it enjoyable for a long time.

As a side note, It is amazing how many times I think it would be really nice if I could find this , or get that, or think I really need that and it finds a way to me. So grateful for those small little blessings in my life...this kitty is one of them. Oh how a farm needs a cat to control the mice. I hope she is a good mouser now!

Sun Pickles

The Hutterites make sun pickles that require no cold packing. I made them last year and they were so good! They stayed crunchy. So were trying them again. You just make your brine, get your jars really hot (take them out of the dishwasher just after they have been on the dry cycle, or fill them with really hot water and dump the water out just before packing them with cucumbers.) Fill your hot jar with one clove garlic, dill and cucumbers. Fill with brine that is boiling hot and put on you lid that is hot with the ring. Set them in the sun for three days. They seal and unseal many times over the three days, that is okay, after three days they will all be sealed, put them on your shelf. So easy!

Montana State Fair 2011

Belt Creek With Harris' and Rowe's

Mara and Parker

Caleb and Cade...

Sam in a floaty!...

Matt and Emma...

Noah, Emma, Matt...

Caleb on the rope swing...the newspaper was there taking pictures of the kids. It was about 100 degrees that day, so glad we were at the creek.

Sam...

Matt and Noah...Lord of the Flies...please no!

The mighty crew returning from across the river. They had so much fun...

Everyone Has to Learn Sometime...{Caleb}

It's that time...time for Caleb to learn to mow. So with a little instruction, off he went.
I tried to capture with the camera how crooked the lines are and all the ",mohawks" he left...

The older boys were making fun of him, but I seem to remember when they were learning and the "mohawks" they left. We all have to learn sometime. I love him for learning! Now we have three boys and two lawnmowers to mow our many acres...who needs a riding lawn mower?

Raspberries for dinner

We went to Thuerber's last night to pick raspberries, they were so good we ate as many as we picked. We spent two hours there, when we got home, it was 8:00pm and by the time we got chores done it was 9. So we ate dinner at 9 o'clock at night...that goes right along with the ice cream we had for lunch the other day! and the veggies we had all day at the beach. I love Summer!

Mon{K}ey Baby!

Annalee loves to be held.

She clings onto you just like a monkey! We love it
She loves Sam! and Sam....well, he really loves her!

Two months {Annalee}

Look Mama I am a big girl who can sit up in a chair! and I weigh 12 lbs!
could kiss those cheeks all day long!

two baby girls!

Summertime {Emma}

I LOVE summer! Love the easy days with my children with me all day. Love the warmth. Love the gardening. Love that it is light until 10:00 each night. Love waking up to the sunshine on my face at 6:00am. Love playing in creeks. Love having the time to actually sit down with the kids and have meaningful discussions. Love how everything is green. Love hearing squeals of delight as the kids jump on the trampoline with the sprinkler under it. Love eating out of the garden. Love the feel of sunkissed skin. Love tan little bodies. Love working and playing so hard that at the end of the day you fall gratefully into bed....Or having your sweetest little lady fall asleep on the floor wearing her swimming suit that you can't seem to get off her, her daddy's socks cause they are really slippery and help her slide all the way across the kitchen floor, and her baby sisters blanket on her head.

I love these days! Hope I remember them always!

Love Max!

Max can't just ever sit and watch a movie. He has to act it out! Funny thing is, I remember doing the same things when I was a kid. I pretended to be Maria in "Sound of Music" and march like the children and dance when they danced. I would watch "My Fair Lady" and sing a long. I never got as decked out in costume as Max, but he kills me! I live this little man. Here he is watching "A Knights Tale" with Heath Ledger. He has his nerf shield as a knights shield, a bucket for a helmet and a broom handle for a jousting stick. He rides a turtle that bounces. He would only wear the armor if Health was wearing it in the movie. He would take it off if it wasn't jousting time! He makes me laugh.Oh, and that is me and my new haircut in the back. Just in case you wondered who that was. I look so different it has been really hard getting used to!