Spring=Outdoor work!!
So Dan had been working some long hours, but was able to have the afternoon off on Tuesday. He and the kids watered and fertilized the blooming azaleas and started watering the front yard. It had been awhile since we had any rain!

Tamara measured out the fertilizer into the watering cans.....

...then Danny filled them with water and watered the azaleas. I should take more pics...the blooms have opened and they look real pretty now!! :)

After the work was done, we let them play in the sprinkler Dan set up to water the yard. It was a warm 80 degree day!! :)


Dan throwing the ball for Mocha....


....and he brings it back!! :) He LOVES to play fetch! If you say, "Mocha, where's the ball", he'll go hunt it down and he usually remembers where he had it last!! :)

On Thursday the kids and I made strawberry jam and a strawberry pie! :)

They were such good and diligent helpers!!
Capping the strawberries....
Mixing the crushed strawberries and sugar.

The final product! :) I don't think I'll have to do any more jam this year. I thought I was getting low, but still have about this much left from last year, so we are in good shape! I do want to try another kind or two of jelly this year though....any suggestions of your favorite kinds??

We are staying home from church today. Tamara has been struggling with a cold since Friday and has had fever yesterday and this morning. It's a low fever, near 100, but she was also having headaches and dizzy spells. I think it's all sinus related. Wouldn't be surprised if it's what Dan had last weekend. Just hoping she gets better soon and that Danny and I don't get it! :P

We are counting down the days till our trip west! Only 5 more to go!! :) :) :)
But in the mean time....we have a group coming to do prison ministry this week. I will be sitting the one families 2 girls at least Monday and Tuesday, possibly Wed. and Thurs. too and I also need to make supper for the group one or two nights! So I won't be sitting around this week...will be so ready for the vacation!! :)

Have a blessed Lord's Day!!

Dan has been working MANY hours at the prison. With his position, he only gets paid for 40 hours regardless how many he works. However, he usually gets to take time off if it gets drastically over 40....which is happening right now! :P
So, Tuesday he got to come home at lunch. That was so nice since there were projects waiting to be done. We bought a "damaged box, reduced" ceiling fan at Lowes for the kitchen. That was the first project of the day and proved to be very involved...he had to crawl up in the attic to figure out the goofy wiring!! But he had a right hand helper who was in his glory!! :)

The finished product! :) I absolutely love it!! The fan has been a cool relief to a kitchen that gets the afternoon sun. And the lights....they are so BRIGHT!! :) :)

He also put a light in my oven hood!! :) For some reason it was taken out and we never pursued figuring out why....it was pretty simple and I am thrilled to have light at my stove!! :)


Tuesday night after supper, we dug up a "tomato garden".

Danny did a good job hoeing along the fence!

The kids have been having the greatest time playing in the dirt beside the house. They took all their big equipment out there.....and boy can they use their imaginations! :) We got some good video clips that will be fun to look back at in 10 years!! ;)

Creeping phlox in the front flower bed. Our azaleas we planted last spring are starting to bloom too! Yay!! :)

A new hummingbird feeder for the year...hoping to see some soon. I might have put it out a little early!??


My friend Kay had gallbladder surgery on Monday so today I wanted to return the favor of babysitting in a time of need! She is always so willing to help me out!

Lydia and Tamara spent most of the day in Tamara's room playing with Polly Pockets, dress-up clothes, etc....

Danny and Dylan convinced me to let them ride the mower around the yard....I should have made them mow!! :)

Later I found them out in the garage making a sailboat! :) (Final pic coming whenever my computer allows my camera to load it's pictures! :P)

Sylas and I had fun playing with Mocha! Sy-Sy was telling him to "drop it" and Mocha would drop his broken up hamburger squeaky toy.....

....the Sylas would throw it, Mocha would retrieve it and on and on we went! :)

Happy Sylas!! :)


I made supper for Roy & Kay and then took the kids back home. They all had a fun day!

This evening I started mowing....here we go again!! :) I enjoyed watching 3 deer in the pasture behind the house while I was mowing. They seemed oblivious to the fact that someone was motoring around in the yard near them. I think they were enjoying that new luscious spring grass!! :)

My dear hubby is not feeling so hot! Actually, he is hot (in more ways than one!! ;) <3 ) He has a fever, the aches and chills! Praying he feels better in the morning. He took some Nyquil and went to bed early. He's been fighting this since Wed. morning. First he thought it was congestion due to the attic dust and dust at the prison (they had a small fire and just got done with remodeling and he's been moving furniture back into the offices). But it seems it might be more. Just hoping he feels better soon. I hate to see him suffering!

Well, I think I'll quit typing....the click, click, click seems to disturb his sleep some. Have a blessed end of the week!! :)