{Reunionizing}

Summer just wouldn't be complete without a good 'ole family reunion.
Some things were just the same.
We stayed in the traditional cabin.

The same crazy relatives came to party.

We call that one "two cantaloupes and a watermelon." Mine are real. ahem.

We tore up the trails on the traditional four wheelers... though we did add a short bus to haul all those kids around.

New this year, and very entertaining, the mini marshmallow shooters! Each one was made by Papa with love -- he even ground down all those sharp edges.

They also worked great for snack time. Open wide!

Caroline practices safe shooting.

You can't blame her when this is what you're up against:

TAKE COVER!!

Also new this year we took up a couple of jet skis to the reservoir.

The drive-by splashings became quite popular with the little crowd waiting for their turn.

Which is how Aiden came to sport this great Gene Wilder hairdo.
The little boys took their roles seriously as little men and insisted on holding the "boats".

Adam only dumped Laura in once... and Caroline once too... she's only slightly traumatized.

But what's a family reunion without a little trauma, anyway?

{Backyarding It}

Todd found a great deal on a new tent. (RIP to our last one...)

The kids wanted to actually use it.

...and go camping.

With Todd's crazy work-every-weekend schedule and my big 'ole Buddah belly we had to consider our destination carefully.

Our own back field? Perfect.

It's right next to the water, no noisy neighbors, and has wonderfully clean bathrooms.

No packing up coolers or suitcases. No worrying about forgetting anything.

Todd even got a side-by-side from work so we wouldn't have to hike in.

Did I mention it was perfect?

'Cause it was.

These are my favorite people in the whole wide world.
I wish I could just hang out with them like this every day.
My kids are funny.

The next day we had just one little chore that had to get done before we could go play.

Butchering chickens.

This pic of Caroline pretty much sums it up.

She spent the whole time hiding under a bush.

Then off to the dessert to play on the side-by-side!

The river had flooded over the trail so we stopped to let the kids play.
Two things I love about Lou:
the way his ears glow when the sun shines behind 'em.


and those little man flanks.

Skipping rocks 101.
Taught by Professor Todd.
It's all about the form.

Our little weekend also included some BB gun sharp shooting at pop cans we hung from trees,

a movie afternoon we traded in for a fishing trip (it was way too hot).

We had to BBQ our dinners.

Just to keep it real.

Why are little boys always so sticky?

Look ma, no hands.

Did I mention that my kids are funny?

...and they hold my heart in their sticky little hands?

Golly I love 'em so much.

Best. campout. ever.

{Sum-sum-summer Time!}

Elizabeth has a head chuck full of summer time activities.

There may be one or two I have not have been super excited about.

Like making popsicles in an ice cube tray out of punch and toothpicks. Come on, really? I have 1,000 OtterPops in the freezer. And ice cream. (Both of which I would have killed for as a child in the summer).

She would not be deterred.

Guess what they made while she was babysitting?

With RED punch. *sigh*

...but it made them so happy! Look at those faces!

Yep, and there's the part I was dreading. The red dripping stains of doom -- that are impossible to lick off...

...by yourself. Apparently that's what big sisters are for!

{The Animal Farm}

Remember last year when we got my first "non-fish" pet ever? One real pet. Boy, did we ever kick the trash out of that number. Total animal count at our house to date? Twelve. TWELVE?!? It's like a tiny petting zoo around here. And I still have no idea what I'm doing around animals. Sheesh.

It all started with that one, poor sad little kitty. I was afraid it would get lonely (it spent all it's time at our neighbor's house playing with our neighbor's cats and the girls were sad that Cookie didn't like it here.) So we got Oreo, the "companion kitty". Turns out Cookie is a mancat, and Oreo is... not. (I'm no longer trusting Todd in the gender definition department.) They spent a lot of time over the winter getting to know each other and guess what?!?

Well, the girls like to say they "got married."

...and produced five offspring. Five kittens from that one tiny little dainty cat. But she tricked us. After she disappeared for a day, she came back with one. One tiny, sweet, adorable newborn kitten! Oh, we were so excited! When we checked on her before bed they had somehow multiplied. Three! Oh, that's good. Three tiny little kittens to play with! The next morning? Five. Tricky Oreo. So if I have seven cats, doesn't that make me some kind of crazy cat lady...?

I think so. So we agreed on keeping two -- a black one and a grey one. So if you're in the neighborhood for a sweet little kitten with great mousing background, CALL ME! We have three females that need good homes! ...like now.

Be prepared to fall in love.

Awww...

They're very used to being handled, and just loooove kids!

...most of the time.

Besides, you'd be saving them from Lou.

So 7 cats + 2 pigs (who are growing well and behaving themselves quite nicely, thanks for asking) = 9

+ 2 goats = 11

That's right, goats. *sigh*

Those of you who know me best, know I spent a great deal of time last summer cursing our neighbor's goats. They were getting loose and munching my flowers and leaving "berries" on my front steps all. the. time. Then one day what do I see? Todd, my children, and two goats they borrowed "to eat the ditch banks."

Meet Nevil, the goat who thinks she's Todd's dog. Todd doesn't do much to convince her otherwise. They make an adorable couple, don't they?

Oh, but it gets better. The other goats is pregnant, but "don't worry! She's not due for a couple of weeks!"

...or a couple of days.

And she chose to have that baby right next to the ditch bank, so it slid right on in.

In the middle of a freak summer rain storm.

While Todd was in a meeting,

and it's real owner unavailable.

!!!

Let me tell you everything I know about birthin' goats.

nutin'.

squat.

zip.

zilch.

nada.

But I managed to pull that baby goat out and get her cleaned up and the two of them into the barn and nursing (thank goodness for my neighbor Michelle!) It was an interesting morning, to say the least. But look what I did!

Never mind that Big Mama and Flopsy almost put me into labor. I had contractions the whole rest of the day. All for a couple of goats (that I've been completely babying ever since). Talk about your emotional investment. I think I'm making up for 30 years of being pet free and putting it all into these two goats. Sheesh.

+ Flopsy = 12

12 animals on the animal farm.

Heaven help me.

All this talk of babies makes me think you could use a little update on me. Here is me at 31 weeks and growing nicely. What's one more when you're already running a zoo? :)