LOTS OF STUFF

I sit outside on my swing writing this. Don't you love wireless? Alex is running around playing and the rooster is a few feet from me crowing. I LOVE THE COUNTRY. It is so peaceful. I would describe it as quiet but in reality, I am having the rooster crow over and over, there are all kinds of different birds in the trees making all different kinds of bird calls. When I get time I'm going to learn the different ones by their "songs."

It has been a busy, busy week. The playyard is finished. LuLu opened her eyes and started standing up and trying to walk. She isn't three weeks old yet. We had a managers party for Clay's work last night and there were about 30 people here. There was one lady here who was probably older than Clay and I but other than her we were the oldest. The youngest one was 4 months old and she was beautiful. People brought a friend, a family member, babies and one even broughther puppy. It was a 4month old lab. Of course Clay cooked and everyone brought a side dish. Lots of food and water balloon fights, everyone got on the swing the slide and the trampoline at some time during the evening. It ended with a big bonfire. OH, the thing that caused the most excitement was some adults took the kids to the hen house to collect eggs for the day only to get in there and find a black snake already there and eating the eggs. Not poisonous but can't have it eating up our eggs. Drew and Clay drug it out of the hen house and took the rifle and shot it's head off. It was almost 5 feet long.

Today for the first time in decades I got on a swing set and I was able to swing side by side with my grandson. I feel so alive here.

BIG WEEKEND

Drew and Frances took their stimulus check and spent it all on Alex a play yard. Clay and I went to Springfield and picked up all the lumber and Drew, Clay and Frances worked on it all weekend. The swingset part of it is still to be built this week. Erin and Aaron came over from Colorado to pick up all of her stuff she had stored here and we had a cook out. Of course Clay did the cooking and it was really nice. They did not stay near long enough though. I miss my girls so badly. I am blessed to have Frances close by though.

Erin and Aarons Pathfinder Drew and Erin. She was getting ready to go to bed after the long drive and loading the trailer and eating.

The end of Saturday. Drew and Alex check out the view from up top.

The ladder and canopy on top are finished. There is also a pirates ship wheel inside that
Alex loves to play with. Next are the swings. Will update then.

NEW ADDITIONS

Our new addition to the family. Her name is LouLou, she is named after Frances whose middle name is Louise. She is a black Lab. Her mommy died 2 days after she was born so we have to bottle feed her every 4 hours. She is just over a week old now and her eyes should be opening in a few days.

Tabbers and Monty "our" cats will be going home with their mommy this weekend. Erin and Aaron will be making a quick turn around trip from Colorado to pick up her "babies" and all of her furniture and other things she had stored here. So wish that they were going to be here for at least a few days but maybe in a few months they can come for a long weekend or something.

I just came inside from putting the first coat of a tinted weatherproofing finish on the new wooden picnic table that we got yesterday. Yesterday Clay and I went to Springfield and Drew gave us his ATM card and had us buy all the lumber and accessories for Alex a really nice playyard. It has just one tower for now (plans are in the work to keep adding towers and also a big turbo slide) and a really big slide and swings and a tire swing and a pirate ship wheel. They are hoping to have it all done by the end of this weekend. Except for a couple of hours loading Erin's U-Haul they will be working non-stop on it Saturday. Clay works a double shift Sunday from 6am - midnight so he won't be able to help finish it up. We are all so excited about it.

The other day I drove for the first time in over a year. IT WAS WONDERFUL. I had forgotten how much I love to drive. I went by myself and went shopping and bought things for ME. I got 2 new tops, a new pair of capris, some socks, a NEON clock for my kitchen (really cool) and a purse. It has been years since I have been to a store and bought myself clothes off the rack. NICE.

Also the woman who had lived here before on our farm, she had died of an illness a few years ago but she had put flower beds all over the front yard and I have been finding them and working on them. Bought more new plants to put in them and am in the process of getting rock borders to go around them all. Yesterday I bought myself a lightweight electric weedeater so that I can trim and keep things tidy around the house and walkway and some of the trees close to the house.

The farm is a work in progress and we all just LOVE all the creativity that we can and do put into it. I haven't felt so alive in years.

ALEX

About a month ago we had 2 roosters and one of them did not like Alex, it had hurt him once before and so we were watching the situation but then one day Nana and Pappy were outside with Alex and the rooster attacked Alex and hurt him pretty bad before we could even get up from the swing and get to him. I think it scared me more than it did him but an half hour later the rooster was simmering in a pot on the stove. You can hardly see the scar now. This was taken a couple of days after the incident.
Alex rarely uses his stroller anymore but Tabbers likes to lay in the seat and sleep and Monty likes the back basket. This day Monty stayed in the basket while Alex pushed him around the house.
Alex all ready to hit the pool. We will be putting it up probably this week. Getting ready for a big cook out at our house with people from Clay's work. Clay loves his new grill, EVERY night that he is home for dinner he has to cook something on the grill.

Clay's new toy.

Alex Being "grownup"

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
Alex LOVES mowing, actually he loves "helping" with everything he sees someone doing.
Whenever Pappy gets out the lawnmower Alex has to get his lawnmower out and "help"
Now if only they would make a toy lawnmower that actually cuts grass.