Dust and diamonds

Lots, and I mean LOTS, of dust.
Kids, dirt and shovels ... at least last week it was.
This week is suppose to be rain. Let's see if we have mud.

Moments of diamonds in the rough?
Lots, and I mean LOTS, of them.

Little loves

Here they are!
My precious grandcharmers.

Anna rolled into town last Saturday evening after trekking across the country. We thought she was driving alone with her kids and had no clue that she had extras on her ride. Bridget had hopped in with her three littles as well!!

We have had some times of kids not getting along so well. Is it the ages of these kiddos that make togetherness a treat right now? I don't know what it is, but I love it! Sunday they were all here and it was laughter ringing everywhere. Thankfully, I have a yard that is a great place for them to play. There are 7 boys in that group and 5 are old enough to appreciate a shovel mixed with dirt.

Paisley wasn't feeling so well and was not cooperating with the attempt to get a picture of all of them.
And, of course, I didn't notice all the shadows until we were past done with the business.
God bless photographers who can make a tribe like this sit still for a minute.

Yogurt ... oh yeah, I got this!

Landscape rock, transformers and cars. 

Is there really a need for anything else in life?

I don't think you can understand the depth of my appreciation for this home of ours.

This is what I want. This is what I need.
Okay, sometimes I really just might need complete silence and other times it might just be a nap.
Other than that, what I really want is the ability for my grandchildren to play here. To be children here. To explore. To create. To live as children ought to live. Creatively and at one with the earth God gave us to use.

These three heads are the firstborns of three of our children. I share the firstborn thing with them. I wonder if they will all be alpha children. Each of them has siblings. Each of them walks by a littler one having a momentary problem/challenge and soothes. Each one will have, or already has,  frustrations galore when their projects are interrupted. Each one is going to be an example for the younger ones. They just don't know it yet.

For now, their job is to play.

Imagine how fast 20 years flies by in life.
20 years from now I'm going to sit them down in the dirt and retake this picture.

A boy and his balloon(s)

I worked last Saturday morning. Alyx & Tarron’s family was going to be over for the afternoon and it happened to be their 6th wedding anniversary. Their wedding cake had come from Frys so I stopped and picked up another one. And .. were it not for the two of them .. these boys would not inhabit our world. So .. balloons to celebrate the little ones. 

You would think sliced bread wasn’t invented yet. These 3 balloons took over his life. He claimed them all. If they went above his head height, he was certain they were going to fly away. It was quite the ordeal. A balloon at ceiling height? Serious meltdown. 

He finally made it this far. 

Outside under the cover of patio roof. 

All 3 balloons in his hands. 

Nope. Not sharing. 

He slept with them as well. 

I’m doing this more often!

White glass catchalls

This kitchen cabinet of our is in the most awkward place ever. One of those where you almost need to do a yoga move to get anything out of it. Not a place for your coffee cup. For. Sure. I should have showed you the countertop under the cabinet but it 'twas a bit embarrassing.

I've been cleaning out cupboards and closets ... one at a time. Pitching things. Call it January cleaning or whatever. Sure feels good!

This cabinet is sort of the catchall. Things you need at the ready but don' really want on the counter top. Combine that with a collection of white glass for the catching and .... you get a little of this action.

I am an avid collector of colorful writing implements that don't need to take up space in here.
The kids markers?
Yup.
Took them away.
I think their mom took them away.

This young man would be the reason. He really doesn't seem to have a color preference. Any color will do.

Seriously. He is the sweetest little quiet dynamo disaster love bug.

spider webs

When was the last time you played like a little kiddo?

A little while back, I tried to introduce the grands to something our own children enjoyed doing. I had some yarn sitting in the going to the thrift store box. Grabbed it out and started building webs. You just string yarn all over the place. Perhaps this was a little too low and should have been higher. I think we used to use a lot more than this, because the cleanup was always a bit of a challenge.

Simple. Easy. Fun.

Sometimes that is all it takes, isn't it?

the littlest ones

So the other week we spent 6 days in North Dakota. I can't post all the pictures here. I have all too many for that. I'll give you snippets here and there.

These two little people are our littlest grandluvs.

I think it is a Nana's job to sit and rock these little people. Soak up snuggles, smiles, drools and whatever else comes my way. I wish they both lived closer but they don't. I am incredibly thankful that we are able to travel to see them as often as we do.

Meet Princess Sage.

Another piece of living far away is that we often miss celebrations such as baptisms. This time we were able to be there! God's blessings to you dear Elliott.

The love just keeps multiplying!

an early Sunday

Having a yen for the lake but not tolerating the temperatures during the afternoon this summer season. 

The alternative is getting up with the chickens.

If you don't have those critters ... that means early. 

Real early.

We live about an hour away from our favorite water hole. 

There must be a cool spot in that section of road 'cuz that 76 degrees didn't last more than a minute.

Little people joined us with their parents. 

Another reason to be out there early. 

Don't want this little guy overheating.

These guys like the water. A lot. Sebastian was my swimming partner today.
And ... they tolerate sitting on the back seat of the boat!!
Serious progress there!

I have stayed out on the water in the summertime and been croaking hot all nite long so am a wee bit nervous about doing it again.

This morning I was a bit bummed that we didn't stay out there last night.

The air this morning was delicious and the water absolutely perfect.

Kind of like my happy place.

Last week ...

This is how we roll over here.

Good thing I saved my big table.

Togetherness is a fine thing.

Watermelon rinds in the freezer.

I read somewhere that chickens like frozen watermelon rinds.

Great way to cool off when the summer heats up the afternoons.

I take a handful and toss them in ... and they disappear!

Bird nests spotted.

I took a drive up to Prescott for a few hours on Saturday.

'Tis the season of fire here in the desert. 

After a wet winter, the desert (both high and low) is a tinder box, just waiting for a stray spark from a dragging chain, a tossed cigarette or a neglected campfire.

We were a nightly sauna house when it first got done, but not anymore.
It is now a treat here and there ... and the summer air doesn't feel so hot when you get out!

Rain? No. Just the pretend stuff. A smattering of droplets from a nearby cars windshield washer.
Not sure their car window got cleaned ...

Say hello to Jameson. Love the little chunky rolls!

Those plants I started with rooting hormone? What did I say I was going to blame the failure on?
Failed.
And now I probably shouldn't try until late July.

Have a great week!

Go out and do something you love!

last week

In case you think life isn't normal over here.

Other than homemade priscilla curtains and stuff like that.

I was finally getting to the vacuuming and mopping.

When I went to buy a new vacuum last year, Anna was online checking reviews for me while I looked at vacs. This one was the winner and (except for the fact that I have no love for the wand) has done very well.

I must tell you that in the suction department .... it pretty much rocks.

Ripped the cord right out of the computer.

Do you know that I'm heading closer every day toward a hip replacement? I'm heading there kicking and screaming, but heading there nonetheless. Somedays this is all I can manage after work.

On the super duper bright side ... I have used up most of my leftover fabrics that aren't destined for another project and a new sauna rug was finished!

The girls are laying eggs and eggs and eggs. Sebastian comes and picks eggs with us when he is here. At first he threw the egg in the chickens enclosure with the hopes that they would sit on it and hatch it. He gave up on that fairly quickly. Now he counts them as he places them in the basket.

Incidentally, I'm loving my new phone. The camera is amazing!

While the guys were working on the patio the other weekend, I was working on Christmas.

Yes. I. Know.

Somedays you just have to chuckle. My yard is a fun place for the boys. Maybe an ankle twister for us older people, but nothing like little boys, dirt and shovels.

Perhaps they were planning on driving home alongside mom?

Let's see what this week brings!

Delight and goodness I'm sure.

princess

1,092 miles is a long way sometimes

taking a break

I have loved the springtime this year.

The temperature has been cool.

The pollen is creating allergies where there never were before 

and yet I am loathe to close the windows while Jari sneezes and drips.

With windows open at both sides of the house, the curtains just fly with the breeze.

It doesn't get much better than sitting outside in the morning with my coffee.

The chickens are squawking, the birds are busy building nests in the trees,

laundry is sometimes still and other times billowing.

Life is so good out there on that porch.

My backyard is a place where the chickens live, 

the compost does its thing and the garden hopefully grows. 

It is also where I am working on crafting wood projects but I can't seem to take a picture to share.

It (and the front yard!) is a place where little boys hunt for treasures with their shovels.

It is where little boys move wood piles around when and where it suits them.

Sometimes, after working so hard, it is just the place for a pulla break.

my joy

Little boys who are always on the hunt for something.

Water and trucks.

What else does a little guy need?

Maybe a Papa who climbs into their fort with them?

Sometimes a party is a good thing.

Girls. Games. Chocolate. Coffee.

#smile #icantturnaround

Tia is always good for a trick or joke of some kind.

When the oldest one just might be the youngest one.

I drink my caffeine straight and black.

I prefer to eat my sugar.

How did this world of ours go from just the two of us

to so many hearts to love in what seems like just a few blinks?

Then again, imagine the amount of joy one can experience

in about 56 million blinks.