This is a catch-up post - the following events occurred in the past 3 months -
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
We had a very fast trip to Chicago - and crammed as much sight seeing in as we could. The highlight was seeing Aubrey's new baby!
The Sear's Tower - glass platform - cool!
The Chicago skyline - in the Bean!
Beauty and the Beast - MST college performance
Jorin and Jantzen sang and danced their way thru the play - they did a great job!
Our sweet sister missionaries - who spend every prep day at our house...
Dress-up day, again, for our rabbit, "Hershey"
Kiely - having a picture taken of her while she takes pictures of others - going to school full-time, working part-time, doing clinicals and holding 2 church callings aren't enough for her, she needs to take pictures for weddings, families, individuals and events too...
We visited Pres. Abe Lincoln's family this past month - they were doing well...and we highly recommend the AL visitor's center and museum in Springfield, IL to everyone.
Jorin and Jantz getting into the spirit of the beard after seeing Abe's...
We visited Elephant Rock State Park - very cool - huge boulders that look somewhat like a huge herd of elephants - hence, the name... We spent hours climbing and exploring.
The Garden - where we spent hours each morning - early, to beat the heat - weeding and, well, weeding. It's difficult to tell that with this picture. The weeds won.
One of our first major harvests. In one day, we picked 6 varieties of tomatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, straightneck squash, watermelon, potatoes, green peppers, hot peppers, cucumbers, basil and tomatillos. I was so excited...until they just kept coming! We have harvested about 380 lbs. of tomatoes so far - and about that much summer squash, it seems like. BUT WE LOVE IT!!
Canning - canning - canning is the name of the game in August - we have so many tomatoes, we actually made ketchup this year, in addition to salsa, spaghetti sauce, tomatoes & chili sauce.
Girls night out - at "Lamberts Restaurant - the home of throwed rolls" in Ozark (yup - they throw them right at you!) - lots of good food
Jantzen - running in her 5K. She beat her best time! GO GIRL!
Starting the remodel project on the old "kennel" - soon to be "guest rooms". Years of doggy smell makes insulation stinky!
Rance - the primary remodeler guy - making the first cut in the cement.
Jorin's 13th birthday was spent at Splash Zone - and then the river - do you think this guy likes water? He's a teenager - can you believe it!
Jantz - washing her chickens for the fair - complete with shampoo and a blow dryer and everything....it's true!
Jantzen standing by her chicken cage - which she built - and her chickens - which she raised from 1 day old - at the county fair. (She took 3 blue ribbons and 1 red)
Jantzen won the Showmanship trophy for her extensive knowledge about poultry and her confident presentation to the judge. CONGRATS!
Jorin - prepping Old Spice for his big debut at the county fair - this daily shower was a favorite for both the calf and Jorin! It was about 107 degrees every day - so any water felt good!
Jorin - showing Old Spice -who took a blue ribbon! CONGRATS!!In addition to these documented events, our summer included:
blueberry picking
Visit to Cahokia - Indian Mounds - twice!
Visit from friends in Colorado
Visit to Nauvoo
Johnson Shut-in - great river experience
raised 2 flower baskets for the fair
got a rabbit
did a major clean up day at the fairgrounds
Spent 4 days from 7 am to 10 pm at the fair - in 107 degree weather - remember!
Attended a farm festival in Mansfield
Kids performed in Beauty and the Beast college play
Book group for Jantzen
made Strawberry and Peach jam
Jorin attended Scout Camp & 2 camp outs
4th of July party
Dev's surprise birthday party here with friends from Springfield
St. Louis Zoo - Science Center and History Museum
Ulyssus S. Grant Visitors Center
Sculpture Park
Swim team participation
Mika, our dog, got a venomous snake bite
Chickens started laying eggs!
Assembly of 4 Adirondack rocking chairs -with no injuries (please refer to Dev's blog)
Visit to US Military fort museums (3)- chemical warfare, military police and Corp of Engineers
4H meetings
floating on the river
Gooey Looey's (you'll just have to come here to find out about this!)
...and I am sure other things that I just can't remember right now...
I was too busy living this summer to document, I guess - and I will now consider myself successfully caught up on this blog - YEAH!
