Artsy Fartsy

Sometimes I feel a little "artsy fartsy".  Sometimes I want to take photos of something besides children throwing balls, kicking balls, catching balls and hitting balls.  Sometimes I want to pretend that I am an artist in France.  

Since I'm not an artist in France, I decided to wander around Rocky Ridge Farm (also known as Hillbilly Hill) and take pictures.

I really don't deserve my rose bushes.  They are completely neglected, yet they bloom and bloom and bloom.

I found more mushrooms.  LOVE....LOVE....LOVE MUSHROOMS!!!
Love to eat them.
Love to find them.
Love to look at them.

If heaven doesn't have mushrooms, I will be really sad!!!!!

 I would love to know what this is.  Our property is littered with them.  Littered in a good way.

It's very windy here today.  Like, blow the hair right off your scalp, windy.  I think it's trying to blow in a storm tonight.

Mostly a week of Gracie

Gracie has begun her first season of soccer. Gracie brought her biggest fans with her last night. (a.k.a. Grandma and Grandpa)

The scrimmage went well, except for the ball she caught with her stomach. Everyone who would listen to her last night heard about the "injury". Then Ryan, Ian and Gracie got into a debate about which sport was tougher and who had the biggest bruises and so on. I mostly tuned it out, but I believe that Gracie won.............. like usual.

Isn't she the cutest lil' soccer player you've ever seen?

The roses are still blooming in the yard. Depite lack of attention from their gardener.

Gracie was presented with her 3rd Grade Bible last Sunday. She will now be in Bible Adventure Club and the God Squad starting in October. Wowser, she is growing up.

She has been leaving little notes around the house for me.

I'm not sure if she does this because..........

#1. She knows her mom is forgetful.

#2. She has seen me make a gazillion lists.

Gus is enjoying the quiet around the house during the day. He follows me from room to room. (mostly wanting food and scratched)

He requested a vampire costume for Halloween this year. I pretty sure that we won't need a set of fangs. I'm thinking of letting him audition for the next Twilight movie. Young girls would swoon over that face, don't you think?

Going Fruity!!!!

Pretty new blooms from the rose garden.

This is my ALL-TIME favorite rose. It's called double delight. I had several years ago when we lived in town. I'm so glad to finally have one blooming in my yard again. They have the best scent and they are stunning. Absolutely stunning!!! I wish you had SMELL-a-vision.

We are beginning to see the "fruits" of our labors outdoors. After 5+ years, our fruit trees are beginning to produce. We probably have 10 apple trees and only three or four are bearing fruit. One is loaded for bear, the others have less. Out of three pear trees only one has fruit.

Oh well, I'm not complaining. Any fruit is better than no fruit, I say.

I'm hoping for apple pies, tarts, and maybe apple butter (I've never tried that before. It might be an epic failure).

I only photographed the pretty ones. The worms have gotten ahold of probably 1/3 of them. We need to do a little better with spraying next year.

Pears.......... delish!!!!

Our vegtables are also coming along nicely. At least the ones that survived the monsoons this Spring and early Summer. When we built our house, we trenched the water towards the woods. We built our garden smack-dab where the pipe drains out. We haven't been able to get into half the garden all summer. Hopefully this Fall we can get that fixed. Until then, we are growing some mighty tall weeds. Some are almost head tall. Everytime we think it is dry enough to mow and till them under. It rains again. Blasted Missouri weather!!!!!!

The half that isn't flooded is producing peppers, onions, tomatoes and radishes. (The only thing that I will eat out of that list is tomatoes. That's a good thing because no one else in my family will.)

All gardening aside, I am heading to Aunt Pam's and Uncle Mike's for our annual river trip. Then we are off to a wood bat baseball tournament for Ryan. Busy.... busy, I say. I feel like my busyness is keeping me from documenting all the crazy things that are said and done around here. I hope to store them up in my rattled brain so I can share them with you when the monkeys are in school.

But I have to put first... first, right?

The Love of the Game

We are currently juggling 3 sports for 1 monkey right now. But I must admit, baseball is still my favorite. You just cannot beat the smack of a ball on the bat. The snap of the ball hitting the catcher's mitt. Or the cheer of the crowd when my boy has two outs, and he throws the last strike. I LOVE Baseball! Except when it's raining.

We did lots of waiting around last weekend. Rain delay after rain delay. On Saturday we didn't play our FIRST game until 9:45 P.M. Folks, that's crazy!!! But the time our second game was finished, it was 1:00 A.M..

My young man. (who towers over me and talks in a deep voice and seems to attract all the young ladies)

My two Blake's, Blake C.

and Blake Y.

The Northland Yankees is the cutest team in baseball. Hands down!!!!!!

With all the running, we have very little free time right now. So when we get a moment with no driving to practice, sitting in the car waiting, or washing uniforms, we take time to be together. This was Rick's idea. Bust out the 4-wheelers and go for a ride. Rick and I like to sandwich the kiddos. So, he takes up the front while I hold the rear!

While we were riding I found two cows in a very deep creek. When I drove over the bridge, they looked up at me. I continued driving however, it nagged at me. I began thinking, "Those cows are stuck in that creek!", "What if no one knows they are there and they die of starvation?" then, "Should I find out whose cows those are?" So on the way back I made everyone stop and look with me. (that way I wouldn't be carrying all the guilt on my shoulders) They were gone!!! I don't know how the beasts got out? Nonetheless, they did.

Moral of the story: Mandy thinks of too many things to worry about!!!

Now that I have tortured you with loads of nothing-ness. I thought I would leave you with pretty roses. Roses from my garden. Roses that the pesky bugs keep biting the tops off of. Arrrg!!

I know this isn't a rose. It is an alien. Doesn't it look like an alien to you? I have an overactive imagination.