Just Another Monday

Well, not really. The kids have been living at the Peanut Palace for a week. On Monday August 17th, Kennedy had spent the night and I told her she could go with me to the office. Pastor doesn't usually come in on Mondays so it was a better day for her to come.

Kennedy took this selfie.

Someone taking selfies with my phone!

Texas State Parks are doing a contest for all sorts of prizes. All you have to do is visit a state park. Take a selfie with this paper finishing the sentence "My State Park is...."Then tag the photo with #TxStateParks and #FindYourPark and post on Instragram or Twitter. What I can't decide is whether to use this picture or one of just Kennedy. You guys have any input?

I finished my sentence with "My State Park is a place to take my granddaughter hiking".















This one isn't close enough I don't think. I set the camera on my phone to self time to get this one.









I believe this is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. I got out my zoom lens to get these. I was still wishing a was a bit closer. I had to climb some big rocks to get these!

Also saw this Bubble Bee.










My "sassy" little girl!

That evening Kennedy wanted to ride bikes to the cemetery. She likes this old structure on the grounds.

I thought my "tall" shadow was fun!

Look at these two cuties!

Pretty sky to end the day with.


Have a good one!

Surprise Visitors at the Office

Friday August 14th was an interesting day at the office. Mom came which has been her new habit since retirement. She comes and helps me fold the bulletins and straightens the information we put in the back of the chairs at church.

This Friday was a bit different as she brought helpers with her! Vanessa needed her help in watching Kennedy and Kashton so she brought them with her!

I also had another surprise that morning as when Pastor came in he brought his dog. Well, it's really his wife's dog. She was gone to a conference and he brought him to the office with him.

Henry is a little Shih tzu and a very lovable little guy. Kennedy absolutely loves this dog. This is the size dog I think she really wants. Once Kashton got over the fear that Henry wasn't going to hurt him when he jumped on him he really wanted to play with him too!






Again I found the Western sky attractive as I was feeding horses. Loved the clouds and the suns rays.

Once again I didn't have my big camera. I usually carry it with me but with the heat I've quit keeping it in the truck and forget to grab it when I head out the door!







When I got home the sky surprised me with this!



Have a good one!

More Time With Korin

The kids have been living in the Peanut Palace for a week now. And as is no surprise a path is worn already between it and my back porch! It's actually rather nice. I am getting to bond more with Kashton and Korin in the process. Saturday morning Kashton woke up and told his Mom that he wanted to get dressed and go see Savtah! Just melted my heart! I wish I had thought to get a picture because it was so darn cute. He had on his pajama top, ski pants and cowboy boots! He's not quite tall enough to open the storm door so I had to let him in!

On the Wednesday before (August 12th) Keannon had some things to do. Vanessa took the kids with her to work then I was to go pick them up from her when I left the office. I had all 3 for a brief period of time. Kennedy ended up going swimming with her buddy Legend. The other two I was to put down for a nap after lunch.

Korin had fallen asleep before we ever made it home. She woke up half way through our lunch. Once we ate, I fixed her a bottle and put her down in her bed then put Kashton in his bed. He tossed and turned for an hour before he finally fell asleep! Korin however never did go back to sleep and started getting vocal. Now that the kids are in the apartment, Kashton and Korin's beds are end to end in the same room so before she woke Kashton up I got her out of bed and went into the other room! Now doesn't this face look like one of mischief!

She sure likes the cat (Tinkerbell) but the cat isn't very interested in her!

This girl is on the move and won't be still a second while you are holding her! So I decided to get on the floor with her to try to get a picture. Hope it makes you laugh as much as it did me!

I posted this picture on Facebook and someone said I had a cute little ladybug on my head!

I just love how she rolls up on one side and sticks her foot out. Kennedy did the same thing when she was little.

She really wants to pet the kitty!

Going for the reach! The kitty is too quick for her though!

Later that evening at feeding time the sunset was pretty. I didn't have my SLR camera with me and was a bit bummed as the camera on my phone just doesn't capture the colors and contrast of sunsets the same way but I still thought it was pretty!

Have a good one!

Keeping Korin

Now this is a rarity. Saturday August 8th Vanessa was at a garage sale and it was pretty hot that day. Vanessa thought Korin needed a break from the heat so I picked her up. Vanessa said she thought she would take a bottle and go to sleep. I had left the room for a few seconds and when I returned this is what I found! I thought it was too funny not to get a picture of!

 In true "Savtah" fashion I had to get a few selfies!

She's quite the wiggle worm so it's kind of hard to do this!

Click here to a link to a video I took of her playing ball. She is playing ball with me in the beginning and toward the end she throws the ball for Kaidence! I can't believe Korin is almost a year old! She will celebrate her birthday September 26th.

Have a good one.

Early Morning Ride

With the extreme heat, mornings are the only time it's cool enough to ride. Remi asked me about
riding and I scheduled an early morning ride Wednesday August 5th. I made arrangements with Keannon to bring the kids to the horses around 7am.

I saddled Clyde for Remi,

I put Keannon and Kashton on Diamond.

Kennedy rode with me on Fancy.

We started in the round pen to give Remi a refresher on Clyde but it wasn't long before she was ready to try riding out in the pasture. Kennedy began the ride in front of me but it wasn't long before I put her behind me. She's too big to ride in front now!

Kashton is one happy boy! Don't you like his "riding pants?" They are his jammies!

Kennedy figured out it was much more comfortable riding behind me!

Remi doing a great job of riding solo!

After riding it was time to feed! 3 horses, 3 buckets, 3 kids!

Later that evening a took this while feeding the horses.



Have a good one!

Ending July with Color in the Sky

To end the month of July we had some thunderstorms in the area. We didn't get any rain but it sure
made for a pretty sky in the West and East.

I thought it looked like the sky was shaping up for a possible pretty sunset. They were very interesting clouds to say the least.

As I want on the progression of the sunset I turn around and see this! A double rainbow! and one of the rainbows you could see from one end to the other! Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of the whole thing but it was so pretty! I was wowed!

One of the prettiest rainbows I got to see with my own eyes!

When I turned back around I was wowed again! God is so good! I had worship right there in my yard!




Take a few minutes and let God wow you!

Have a good one!

Farm Fun (Except We aren't on the Farm)

The grandkids came over while Keannon and Vanessa went somewhere. I had all of them except the
baby Korin. When it came time to feed I took all three of them.

The girls only had sandals for footwear which doesn't work well in a pasture of dirt, manure and stickers so I had them put on their rubber boots.

Everyone got to feed a horse. Remi fed Clyde, Kennedy fed Fancy, and with my help Kashton fed Diamond.

While the horses were eating I drained the big water tank and cleaned it out to fill with fresh water.

It turned all that nice dry powdery dirt to mud very quickly! The girls asked if they could walk through the mud. After all they did have on their "mud boots". I told them they could. Then Kashton asked if he could walk through the mud. I then realized he couldn't because he had regular shoes. I had to tell him "no". The look of disappointment on his face just about did me in. Then the first thing I know I turn and see Kennedy with one of her boots off and mud on her foot. I yell "what are you doing?! Why did you take your boot off?! Now I have to wash your foot!!" I then look at Remi and she has done the same thing! Now I'm frustrated and start in again. "What are you thinking?! Don't you realize how frustrating this is?!" I look at Remi's and Kennedy's faces and now I'm on the verge of tears. It was then that I sensed Papa speak to me "you were a kid once. You played barefoot in the mud.

Remember how much fun that was? What difference does it make if they play in the mud? It will wash off." I melted. I took a deep breath looked that each of their sad faces and said in a very calm voice, "Savtah is very sorry that she yelled at you. I was wrong. Please forgive me. Take your boots off and play in the mud if you want to." I helped Kashton take off his shoes too. The look on their faces made it all worth while.

I saw Kennedy's reflection in the water.

It did take a little longer to finish as I sat the kids down one by one to wash off the mud, dry their feet and put shoes and boots back on but they had so much fun! It was so worth it!

After I got every cleaned up we let horses out of the barn as they were through eating.

Clyde's habit after he is through is to lick the salt block. Remi loved on him while he did that.

Even though Kashton loves the horses he still has a fear of being near them. Usually when he's with me he wants me to hold him but I saw a change this time as he walked up to love on Clyde when he saw his sister do it. That's a first!

He was then very interested in seeing what Clyde was licking.




















As we are leaving we got to see the sunset. Nice touch to the end of the day.


Have a good one!