Joey's Graduation Party

It turned out to be such a nice day for this party. In the morning there was a terribly thick fog, but it finally burned off and warmed up. Lots of family and friends came. Besides food and visiting we had hay rides and pony rides for the smaller kids as well as a small bon fire for smores later in the day. Joey's friend Troy helped to finish it off right by spending the night and playing video games with the guys! Altogether we had so much fun. It was well deserved for all the hard work it took to finish up high school. Above is Joey with his special cake my sister Jamie made for him and his cousin Lauren. Above here is Joey's Grandma Doris, his uncle Wally and his uncle August. Below he's with his Grandma and Grandpa, Carolyn and Jim.

The hay riders.
The gamers, lol. Joseph, Jacob and Troy.

Grandma and Grandpa's

We took the kids on a mini vacation last week down to Warsaw, Mo and stayed with my inlaws. They have a place surrounded by oak trees that overlooks a pond and it is so pretty and peaceful there. My mother in law feeds hummingbirds, orioles and all kinds of song birds, deer and turkeys. I didn't get pictures of the birds or deer this time though. I took pictures of all the wildflowers and will have several posts showing all the ones I could find.

My husband's sisters and their families were there as well and so we were a crowd of 18 people all together! There was lots of cooking and lots of helping hands too, thank goodness for dishwashers and inflatible mattresses! The kids had a blast with their cousins and the weather was so mild we had the windows open with fresh air in the house.

Missouri is usually very hot and humid by the end of June. The muggy hot air was here on Sunday to greet us when we arrived home. I think it will be here to stay for awhile too.

Here's a picture of the children with their cousins just before we left.

Purple Finch Nest with Blue Speckled Eggs

Me and my eggs, I know! But isn't this cute? A little finch wanted to make her nest in my hanging flower pot. I love this picture so much, it's the background on my computer.

*update ~ I am amazed at how many people all over the united states find my blog with this little post. Please leave a comment and let me know how helpful this picture is to you......I would love to hear others' stories too.

New Swing

Jacob fashioned up this swing for his little brother and sisters. The kids love it! They are out here under the mulberry tree all the time now. It has been a favorite spot since we moved here as it is also their climbing tree.
My husband removed the barbed wire fence so that the kids wouldn't hurt themselves on it if they fell. He also trimmed up some of the branches for easier mowing. The kids were not too happy about the trimming. They miss the fence too as it helped them with their climbing! But I think they will get used to it and it's better to have that old fence out of there.