We all had a great week. Seven kids went to Grandma's and Peepaws in Florida. Then Lexi went to FSY close to there. Kylie is busy working full time at the library on campus. Madalyn and Spencer are busy serving the Lord full time in Nauvoo and San Jose respectively. I stayed home by myself and enjoyed a quiet, rainy, and productive week.
Sunday: Fourth of July Sunday clothes.
We always take a patriotic picture the Sunday closest to Independence Day so here are ours this year.
Seven kids at Grandma's and Peepaw's house with Great Grandma too.
Kylie with her cousin and roommate Rebekah.
At Grandma's house the kids were enjoying Sunday with family.
Girls with cousin Gracie painting nails.
Sam and Andy playing with cousin Jackson.
Jackson and Samuel.
Thomas, Anderson, and Grandma playing Uno.
Thomas working on a puzzle.
Grandma reading to Talea.
Meanwhile, at my house I had a thunderstorm. Actually it rained every day from July 2-10 except July 4th. Some storms were intense with lots of lightning, thunder and high winds.
Sunday night as the rain was stopping.
What the kids did at Grandma's this week:
Thomas and Tilly eating cake at a 4th of July swim party.
Great-grandma reading to Talea.
Doing sparklers in the cul-de-sac.
Grandma and Peepaw took the kids to Seaworld on Wednesday with some free passes and they all loved it.
Sam, Andy and Tilly rode the Boxcar Derby.
Meanwhile, Alexis had a great time at FSY near Orlando:
Hannah and Alexis, roommates.
Her other friend, also the 4th (of 9 children.)
And Kylie had fun on a date:
Hesston and Kylie.
They served together in Brazil. They entered the MTC together and were in the same district.
On a double date with Hesston's sister.
Kylie's wearing the Grandfather Mountain sweatshirt she got here on my birthday. :)
Meanwhile, I was home alone with no car. I did a lot of lesson planning for each subject for each child for the coming school year, bills, gardening, cleaning, reading, etc. Several times a day between storms I'd go out and pick blueberries, tend the garden (pick hornworms and Japanese bettles), and walk around the property. I'd go for a hike in the woods or to the end of the driveway for the mail. Sometimes I'd sit and read while it rained and I'd scare the birds out of the blueberries. Then get out the Canon and go around taking some pictures for a little hobby. Then go back in for more lesson planning. Here's a long photo tour of our property.
I've never loved the front of our house and wanted to remodel before taking pictures but today I actually think it looked nice and decided not to be so ashamed of it. It's a cute 1930's house.
Standing by the slack line and looking at the north side of the house.
Standing by the plum tree and looking at the house. I need to cut part of the dogwood out of the way. The sunroom faces south.
Standing behind the slack line. I need to cut the branches blocking the view. I haven't gotten the chain saw out in months and it's time to find a cool day and go around trimming things.
Even farther back. I love the big pecan trees in our yard.
Pivot to the right of the last picture and you'll see the pecan trees with swings in them. Hard to see. This is also where we play football.
Where we park the van.
Looking up the driveway from where we park. Barn is on the right.
When you come to the corner you turn left and have a steep hill going out towards the road. At the top of the hill and in the cow pasture is our 100 blueberry bushes. We call it Blueberry Hill.
Looking down towards our house on Blueberry Hill. In the summer you can't see our house with leaves on the trees, but it's in there somewhere.
Blueberry Hill. We worked hard last winter cleaning it out and the blueberries are looking great this year! I wish we'd done even more and had it open for picking right now.
Blueberry Hill looking towards the road.
I hate this cow pasture because it's the only one that has broom straw all over it, which the cows don't eat so it grows long and turns brown. All the other pastures are short and green and beautiful.
I took a container and a bag to pick blueberries and ended up filling up my hip pack too. It's hard to stop when there are so many good ones.
Back down in our yard, this is the north side of our house looking toward the front where we park.
The north side of the house, looking down toward the barn. The trampoline is on the right.
Trampoline area. I'm excited to fix this area up someday. For now there's the tramp, balance beam, log steps to walk on, and a fire pit. They used to have a pool here. Walking past the trampoline you'll come to our trail into the woods.
Trail entrance.
Mountain Laurel
I love seeing the whole hillside blooming with laurel.
Coming out of the trail on the south side of the house is the garden. It's very overgrown with a week of rain. It's time for a weed pulling party but we have a busy week coming up.
The male kiwi is very overgrown as well.
Our pepper plants keep getting eaten by animals so the fact that there is a tiny pepper growing makes me so happy. All our friends have peppers by now but ours are way behind due to getting eaten down every week.
Looking through the middle of the tomato plants. It's fun to get down low and look around.
Looking up at the sky through the tomatoes.
I love the huge blackberries we have.
Very sweaty and messy hair after 2.5 hours of picking blueberries and walking around the property. It's so fun though and I love it. It makes my heart sing to enjoy the beauty of this place.
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