Summer Ramblings

As you may have guessed from the title, it seems that we have once again fallen behind on this posting thing. Our resolution last year was to stay up to date and this year's resolution is the same thing!   A lot of things have happened since last year but we will try to put them  into manageable time frames.  So, lets start with the summer of 2014.

During the early summer Jennifer and Toby finished their new house and moved in.  I think it was a little harder to leave the old house out on the ranch than they had expected.  It wasn't really the house but the location, solitude and scenery.  But being in a new, big house that is close to town and school has it's advantages.  There are still things that they will need to work on later, but for now, they are enjoying their new home.

We planted a garden again along with some pretty flowers.  Although we didn't get a lot of rain, we were blessed with more than in past years and that helped with the landscape.  We made a good tomato crop but the squirrels kept stealing them and sitting up in the tree and eating them.  We felt like they were mocking us so they had to go.

Also, this year we decided to replace some of the old rock work on the back on the house, replace the siding and install some insulation and new windows.  This old house continues to be a work in progress after all these years but we still enjoy the challenge and the results.  The biggest difference is that in the past we would have done all the work ourselves.  But, now, we are beginning to let others do the hard stuff.

In addition, we had some rock flower beds and a rock landing built out front.  We still need some new plants but that will wait until the spring 2015. We did put down 2 pallets of new grass to replace some of the areas that had died out over the past few drought years.

During the time we were working on the house Jeremy and his family came for a visit.  Jane and Jack are growing up and we enjoyed time with them playing outside and over at Toby and Jennifer's house.  Jack found a preying mantis that eventually hopped up onto his nose!  It was cheap entertainment!

The very beginning, the slab is finished and the project is underway!

Walking the road for the last time!

Our little pea sheller!  Think she's watching something scary on TV!

Got to missing tomatoes and discovered squirrels were carting them away!

Rock work completed and grass planted.

Hey baby, is my insurance up to date?

Summer rain!  What a surprise!  Looking off the new back porch.

Yeah, I moved all those rocks myself.

 Even the big kids had to show off!

 Jack found himself a pet preying mantis!

He discovered they can jump, this time on his nose!

Jordan, Ashley and Leighton's Florida vacation.