Sunday Afternoon Ride

 I don't know that you can beat the decor in our sanctuary! And how often do you get to preach in your cruise hat??? 

After lunch the guys all settled in to rest and nap and such. The girls and I headed out for a bike ride. 

I gotta keep my eye on them every second lest they wander into danger. LOL 

After the long winter (which felt longer than typical somehow) we are LOVING outside. We're spending as much time as possible walking, biking, hiking and gardening....well "I" enjoy the gardening. The rest of them - not so much. 

The wildflowers are out - we were especially happy to see Fireweed. 

Gathering with church family, the river, mountains, wildflowers, sun, warm temps - all very good for our souls this Sunday.

Krista's Bridal Shower

 We had to be sure to mow last week so we could put out some weed and feed because THIS Saturday is Krista's Bridal Shower. Arielle, her matron of honor, did a great job pulling together all the details and delegating responsibilities. Bre, Brittany, Allie and Stacia all had a hand it making it a fun day for all. 

Back - Stacia, Allie, Arielle, Me & Mona (Luke's mom)
Front - Carrie, Krista, Bre and Carrie (Luke's sister)

It turned out to be a beautiful day. It wasn't too hot - and the bugs weren't TOO pesky. It was fun to have everyone over. 

Jen, Cecila and Jacque

Sandy, Nora, Rose

Krista and I  - didn't even coordinate the matchy thing. LOL 

Jojo (BreZaak's) 7 months

Bre shares how Krista is like a succulent plant

I discovered through this wedding and two showers...Brittany is the queen of shower games! 

Krista and Brittany

Cold Feet - Lindsey and Krista try to pick rings out of bowls of ice with their feet. 

Cecelia and Jojo 

Opening gifts - Allie and Krista

The girls - minus Larissa (and Maria)

Back - Stacia, Allie, Arielle
Front Carrie, Krista, Bre

First Mowing of 2021

 It happens every spring. 

We breathlessly wait for the yard to green up. 

Overnight it greens and GROWS...and the mowing is on. The first mowing of this season took over 25 man hours to complete. I manned the push mower for the orchard and around the perimeter and in close places - like the swing set, hammocks and around the fire ring. Allie and Stacia set to with the weed eaters. Michael and Arielle took turns on the riding mower. 25 hours!!! The grass was tall - so we had to empty the bags OFTEN. 

We don't live in a manicured neighborhood - even so, we probably are a couple of weeks behind. We've been putting most our man hours on Michael's project...but we have an outside bridal shower to host...so it's time to move the mowing to the top of the list. 

Grandpa pulled dead leaves off this cherry tree. (It's August 4th and I can report we have lots of cherries). 

Allie catches the vision....and sets to with the weed eater. 

Benny is our youngest laborer - and he's the one that thinks it is the best fun! 

We didn't get it ALL done - I'm not sure we've ever seen it ALL done at the same time....this will wait for another day....

This IS done. LOL 

Millie's New Haircut

 Millie has 80's hair...

We didn't want to cut her hair (as opposed to fur - she has no undercoat) in the winter as she always shivered and acted cold. 

When spring arrived it was time to get a hair cut. They couldn't get her in for a cut until June 1st. Her hair was getting matted. We cut open one of her dread locks  and it was full of dirt and twigs. She was miserable. We did what ANY responsible pet owner would do - we began to snip off the matted locks.  

She is now the oddest looking dog I've ever seen. We began on her legs and hind quarters. It looks like she has a creeping disease, but...it's June 1st and we were finally able to drop Millie off to get groomed.

 We were a bit worried she would misbehave for them. She's been quite a handful lately.  They asked if we wanted to leave her face and tail long (which is a labradoodle look). I explained the problem with the dreadlocks. They said, "Oh, you want a fresh start." 

Yes, that sounded right. 

I picked Millie up and MY WORD. I didn't recognize her until she barked. She STRUTTED OUT TO THE CAR.  Have you ever seen a dog strut? She was QUITE taken with her new look - bows, bandana and all. Her poodle is shining through with this new style. 

We made several observations after we got over the insane amount of doggy primping going on..... she is MUCH less aggressive. We think this is because she can SEE so much better. She isn't surprised by hands reaching out to touch her (G G).  She is also not as SCAREY to others and so they react differently, which causes her to react differently. AND the incredible amount of training Stacia (and Allie) are investing into her is paying off. She is getting much better at obeying... though she does NOT want to sit with her new sleek hind quarters. LOL 

Stacia doesn't like this length at all - but it is sure easier to deal with during this time of year with the woods around our place. 

Millie is still Millie - even with a new style. She is always at hand when one works in the kitchen. She loves to bring her toys and drop them at my feet as I attempt to cook a meal. LOL 

It's been a fun year with Millie. It's about time for her annual vet visit.