Family time...

Hello!

I can't believe its been about a week since my last blog post!  August has been a busy month so far for us; especially this last week - our last hospital visits for the elbow, last soccer games, new furnace installed, a day trip and lots of visitors.  :)

We needed a day together.  We needed a day at home.

Talking as a family on Saturday evening, everyone agreed that it would be great to work on our chicken coop (its at a great stage where you can really see progress!) and the girls just wanted to run around and explore.  Sammy of course just loves the idea that she can play in the water... FINALLY!

We had breakfast together in the house, I put dinner into the slow cooker and we all made our way out to the barn and coop.  The girls played with the kittens, climbed in the hay loft and caught frogs from around the rocks (Sammy has become an expert at catching leopard frogs.. even tiny ones!)  

Erin loves to build and create.  She has been using a handsaw, hammer and nails to build minecraft items!  (with our supervision... its not ALL wild west out here.  ;)  )

Minecraft Oven and coal

Derek and I set to work on the coop.  I LOVE working alongside my hubby.  I'm sure that there are parts of the construction that I make progress a bit slower but I am so happy to be a part of the process.  Derek and I have always worked well together.  I remember wallpapering a bathroom together just before we were married and a friend joking that if we survived that, our marriage would be just fine.  Unless Derek is reading this and thinking otherwise, I think we make a pretty good team.

Framing the coop utility room/entrance way.

It was just TOO nice of a day to be indoors at all.  Even as the humidity set in and the mosquitos began to show up, we stayed outside.  Nicole helped to put together a picnic lunch which we all enjoyed out under the walnut tree - including Rosie who usually prefers the comfort of the house. :)

It was a  very good day.  It surprised me - I often feel over-busy and overwhelmed during the school year, and hardly at all during the summer months, but yesterday was very much needed.  Sometimes when life is going full speed, you need to just rein in the commitments, pull your family in closer and SLOW down.  I have seen SO much growth from my girls this summer it both amazes me and saddens me - they really don't spend as much time in my pocket as they did when they were younger and full time school starts for all four ladybugs in just a few weeks.

I'm holding fast to these long days of summer...

Jeanette