Being a Beaver

Sometimes I focus on what is not.  I'm NOT 15 pounds lighter, I am NOT always as patient as I would like to be with my children,  my house is NOT big (it is also NOT usually very clean), I'm NOT where my husband is, there is NO grass in my yard, etc. 

Lately, I have been trying to focus on what is, and right now there IS dirt in my yard. 

Last week Fisher and Piper built a beaver dam.  They worked on this thing for two days mixing mud to "mortar" scrap wood together then filling in any potential gaps. 

It was very much a process for Fisher.  He had seen something about beavers that said (or showed) they throw mud balls where leaks may form, and that's exactly how he did it.  He threw mud balls at his dam. 

There was the occasional break to inspect a grasshopper

or tiptoe on the rocks.

But for most of two full days there was mud.  Piper was a very efficient "mud manufacturing assistant" and worked hard to keep the supply up with demand. 

Two days lead up to testing their creation.  Would it stop water?  Would it spring a leak?  Let's find out...

...it held!  Mostly.  There was one tiny spot where water was just barely coming through and Fisher threw a ball of mud at it and successfully stopped the seeping water. 

We celebrated the victory by playing in the mud. 

Just think, if my yard was perfectly manicured and filled with grass we'd have missed this.

 Focus on what is...

Childhood: This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Joining in with SouleMama

Memorial Day



Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

The Big One

Sorry for the radio silence (again) but it's been a bit....(all together now) crazy around here.  Let's see, we've had bathroom remodel/mold remediation which involved being at Nana's for quite a while; an awesome country wedding for my favorite oldest niece (she's the only one that's the oldest); many attempts at organization; our basic school stuff; AND James received travel orders.  Whaaaat? 

Let's start with that one then we'll get to the fishing.  So yeah, James found out a bit ago that he's going to ITALY!!!  It's a quick job as far as we know so he should be back sometime towards the end of the summer.  And no, the kids and I are not going on this one.  I know, bummer, but we'll go on the next one pretty quickly.  He is all you would guess he is (as we all are) excited, nervous, anxious, etc, but he'll be great!  (Plus he's pretty much counting on gaining a ton of weight.  You see, that's his favorite kind of food....Italian.)  He leaves this Sunday the 27th, which just happens to be our 12th anniversary.  Keep your fingers crossed for him (or pray or send him good juju) as it's hard to head out by yourself to another country and figure it all out.  I'll try to update you on him as I can. 

And now for today...

We went fishing with Nana, Hank, and Johnny.  It was Johnny's first fishing trip and he LOVED it!  We went to a relaxed little spot called Monument Lake.  It's stocked and drive up.    

Fisher got right down to business and cast out sort of before anybody else was ready to catch a fish.  And he caught a fish.  It was a sign of how the day would go.  (or a newly stocked lake - we'll take it either way)

All the kids (and let's face it the adults too) think catching fish is just the coolest.  Johnny was all about it.

Checking it out.  Fisher never seems to lose interest where fishing is concerned but the younger ones...

It started to turn into a bit of a goat rodeo.  So we explored.

We played in the car.

Came back to check on the fish catching.  Yes, that's him catching another one.

We explored some more and talked about what we saw.

We went for walks.

We splashed in puddles.

And checked out shadows.

Oh look Piper caught a fish too!

Fisher showing Johnny just what all this is about.

Then everyone was interested in fishing again.

Pipey caught another one!

This is just so cute!  He really got this whole fishing thing.  He started to mimic the casting motion and then he would just sit with the pole in the water.  Then he'd go over to the fish string and poke a fish that had already been caught.

Now, here's where the "biggest fish ever" started.  Fisher put the bait on the hook, cast out, caught, and reeled that sucker in. 

His arms were getting tired but he kept on going. 

He was so big we had to break out the net.

That is a BIG fish!

All the kids checking it out.  Johnny was not a fan of this one up close.  James kept trying to get him touch it.  Not happening this trip.

Then he tried to get Fisher and Piper to kiss it.  Piper looked like she was thinking about it but decided against it in the end.

They even weighed him.  2 lbs. 6 ozs.  (I just had to ask James how much he weighed and was informed it wasn't actually the largest fish he caught.  Apparently there was a 2 lb 12 oz guy caught while ice fishing.  This one was the first/biggest one where he did all the work though.)  

That there is a proper fish picture held up like a pro.  Yep, we're gonna frame it. 

My kid caught our dinner and it was delicious.  That's my Peek of the Week!!  Jump on over to Happily Home Sewn and check out her peek...

Sunburn, Sprinklers, and Chicken Love

This year has been the mildest, most beautiful April I've experienced since living in Colorado.  We've spent so much time out in the yard cleaning it up, planting seeds, working up our fairy gardens, playing with chickens, loving just being outside.  And yes, getting a little sunburned.
 
Playing in the neighbor's sprinkler...

Love this action shot!

He was ALL about this.

Piper needed some nudging.  Or her daddy to carry her.

The love and fascination with the chickens seems to be neverending.

Fisher and Maybelle

Princess Piper and Mary Pierce

Chicken love.

Featherfoot snuck into the composter.

Then she convinced Mary Pierce to join her.

Dirt, pink cheeks, and fresh eggs.  That's what April was all about around here.

JKFP