More Fun from Ohio

We miss Cassie very much and I think she misses us too, but she is just having such an exciting summer.  I am so thankful for family and friends that are embracing her and making memories that will last a lifetime!!

This week she is volunteering at a friend’s church’s VBS – she volunteered last summer and enjoyed it so much she wanted to go back this summer too. 

Then this evening a family we’ve gotten to know through our homeschool co-op invited her to go to Buckeye Lake and go tubing.  I believe this was her first time ever on a boat on a lake.  She had such a great time and the pictures are priceless!!

She is having such an awesome summer volunteering at the zoo, hanging out with friends, spending quality time with family, and getting to try new things!!

Cassie’s in Ohio

                FAMILY

 

   FRIENDS

FUN

   

Any questions???

Window Feeder

We’ve had lots of birds at the feeders in the trees of the thicket in our backyard, and we love watching them and trying to figure out what kind they are.  We thought it would be nice to get them closer so we could see them without the binoculars that’s why we put the platform feeder on the deck.  We have had many visitors . . .

One of our favorite feeders lets us watch them from inside the house.  I asked Jay to put in our mirrored windowsill feeder so we can see if they come to it now. 

I hope they find it and come on in so we can see them – they can’t/won’t see us since it is mirrored on the inside - without startling them.  I figure if they are willing to come to our deck platform feeder when Chloe is out there asleep, surely they’ll venture over to the kitchen window feeder.  We’ll see . . .

Time for Tennis

The kids have really taken an interest in tennis now that Mackenzie is participating in Bismarck’s Park & Rec’s summer tennis program.  What’s nice is it is something that Jay, and even myself if I would just get out there, can play with them. 

The other day we took to an area park’s courts and they had fun.

Friday Night Slumber Party

I do not understand.  WHY??  Why would you want to sleep on the floor when you have a nice comfy bed to rest upon? 

These two, both look forward to Friday and Saturday nights because they can slumber in each other’s rooms on the floor.  They’ve made club houses out of tables, chairs, blankets, and pillows so they could sleep in them.  They’ll stock pile blankets and sleeping bags so they can be comfortable sleeping on the floor together. 

I guess all that matters is they enjoy each others company and have fun hanging out together.  Plus, they actually get the best nights sleep when they are in each others presence. 

You guessed it, they are in the same room on the floor again tonight! :)

So Precious

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Isn't he just precious. I can't wait to see my little nephew in person!! Just have to figure out when that will be . . . maybe in August, but by then he'll be two months old. :(

WEEEE . . . .

Okay, we have spent quite a bit of time on Skype since Cassie is in Ohio.  Jay used this technology to interview with out-of-state churches, the kids use it to take piano lessons with Grandma Karen, and we use it to visit with Cassie. 

It’s been great too because when our 18 month old nephew, Odie, stays with Jay’s parents then we get to visit with him too.  Jay enjoys making him giggle so, he will act like he is tickling him through the computer monitor and then Cassie will tickle him on that end.  It is so cute to watch and listen to his precious laugh.  

Well, the other day Uncle Jay started showing off his belly to Odie and saying “weeee” and within a minute Odie was mimicking Uncle Jay.  When Uncle Jay would lift his shirt and say “weeee” then Odie would do it too.  It was so cute and funny and I guess now that is how Odie associates Uncle Jay right now.  Cassie said she told Odie they could Skype Uncle Jay and he pulled up his shirt and yelled “weeee.” 

Way to go Uncle Jay – you can be influential all the way from North Dakota!

Completed

Yay!!  Mackenzie has completed and passed her first violin book. She is really enjoying her teacher and rising to the challenges she gives her.

More Visitors Today

After the storm passed, we had more visitors at our deck feeder today.

Clouds

Last night the sky was full of beautiful clouds.  We were lucky only to be able to see the clouds build for a storm system that was north of us and never came our way.

This cloud kept getting bigger and taller and shortly after the kids went to bed we got them up so they could see how unique it was.  We stood out on the back deck and watched as this cloud would just light up.  It was really neat watching the lightning bouncing around inside the cloud.  This cloud just hovered in the same spot and never moved (not sure what happen with it once we went to bed).

I love the way the moon is just peeking around this cloud.

Backyard Birds

We’ve had many visitors to our feeders in our backyard.  We like seeing the different birds and looking them up in our “Birds of the Dakotas” field guide.  We’ve put some feeders in the tress in the thicket in our back field, but unfortunately when the wind whips around at 20+mph we lose a lot of food. 

Not too many come on our back deck, but when they do we try to get their picture without startling them.  We have seen more than we have been able to snap photos of.  One that I have seen quite frequently flying around is the barn swallow and it is so neat to see flying around with it’s forked tail, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to catch it on film.  We also see a lot of red-winged black birds, meadowlarks, and black-billed magpies. 

Here’s a few snapshots of those we have been able to get . . .