The farm and one more thing...

The one more thing that I forgot to say about Cypress was...we saw 2 mama moose fighting! IT was so funny! We were actually taking down our campsite and we see a mama and her baby behind us. Oh how ugly-cute they are! So we watch and from the right comes another mama and her baby. Wow! It is unusual to see that many moose that close together. Then the babies kind of go a little bit away and 1 mama charges the other! They go on 2 feet and hit each other once and then back up. A few minutes later they do it again! And separate again. Then the "victor" (not sure how that was established because they weren't hurt and it didn't look like anyone won) kept chasing the other further out. The baby then caught up to her mama and ran right beside our clothes line that we were standing on the otherside watching. Very cool to see.

On Wednesday we were back on the road again for a short hour ride out to the Haugen's farm. They had invited us out for a day of fun and to play with them, their kids and grandkids. Well, we loved it! I think Ryland has high hopes of being a farmer just so he can have so much fun everyday. Because right now he thinks that farmers get to play on the hay bales, go for a walk in the weeds that are taller than you, roll in canola and have smores DAILY! There was canola all over the house when they came back in. I had went with the 2nd or maybe it was the 3rd time they went to the haystacks, but quickly realized I needed to go away and leave them with the guys so they would be able to enjoy the jumping and running way up there. I know I used to do it on Grandpa's farm and I wanted them to have those fun memories, but it is so high and they don't watch where they are going! So I had to leave. And they were fine. Collin got stuck 2 times and Ry thought he should be able to jump down from the top, but wisely chose to go to the 1st row of round bales to jump. (round bales are tall!!! 5ft at least) Then Jerry had cut a circle around a field of weeds (so there was a way out if you walked straight I think) and they all went in there to explore for awhile. If you were watching, you could see the weeds move, but you couldn't see the kids. The first time Jerry helped them get out, but Ry was the leader the 2nd time around and got out all by himself! Then came the canola. Ryland said, "That was so fun because we got to swim in it! And Jerry went on the top of the bin and said WHO'S PLAYING IN MY BIN!" We could hear the screaming way back at the house where the women were sitting playing a very peaceful game of Scrabble. It was a very happy day and we are blessed with such good friends to enjoy life with. (And there should be pictures coming sometime when the Brekers get home.)

Pictures at Cypress

All of us on a nature walk. I was giving the kids a little science lesson on how to tell the age of a tree. Homeschooling...there is an opportunity everywhere!









Grandpa and Collin riding the horse One Hundred. Ryland's horse was named Cocoa and mine was Oreo. Next time you go on a trail ride and they ask if you have any horse experience, say NO! My horse kept on trying to nip Cocoa. It did not make for a relaxing ride.








A picture of Collin when he won his free game at the mini golf! He was so excited! He got to golf 3 times because of it!

Ryland at his swimming lessons! He loves to jump in the deep end. Taylor was his teacher.

Cypress Hills

On Sunday we got back from a 10 day camping trip at Cypress Hill Interprovicial Park in Canada. This is the place we always went to as kids and it is very near (well not really near -about 8 hrs) and dear to my heart. We had so much fun! Even with 2 days of nonstop rain, it was a great trip. And because of the rain, we were able to get laundry done half way through. And by then it really was necessary. I really thought I had packed well, but it obviously wasn't true with the 4 loads of laundry that were done that rainy day.
Ryland was able to take his first week of swimming lessons. He started in level 2 because there was no room in level 1, but did way better than I thought he would. He still needs to work on his back float and blowing air out his nose, but did an awesome job with rocketing off the wall, jumping in, front floats and bobs. At the campsite, he was a regular landscaper making a mini golf course for people to play at. Then there was the park and the beach and horseback riding and real mini golf and ice cream and fireworks and a magician and moose....the list just goes on and on.
Collin's favorite thing about camping was eating s'mores! We had them almost every night. He also had a very serious brush with hot grease that very clearly showed God's provision. We were cooking bacon for breakfast and there was a can on the ground that was holding the hot grease. Collin went running through the site and kicked over the can splashing the grease all the way up his bare leg. With some quick thinking by my sister and dad, they got most of it off and then my Uncle Keith had a burn gel pack thing that Candace applied to his leg. When we took it off it was a little red but there was not one blister! My first thought when I saw it happen was where can I even get the help he will need for this serious burn! We are in the middle of nowhere and in Canada! But God showed me that he will provide what I need...and this time He chose to do it through a miracle and I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around God's goodness. (And after all of that, the can was still too hot to set back up so the grease was that hot.)

Life

On Saturday we found out that Josh's great grandma had passed away, so Josh headed to MI from TX and I headed there from ND. He got here on Monday (really tues morning) after quite a few hours of waiting for weather to clear in the airport. He was supposed to be in around 10pm and it ended up being 1am. My flights were right on time and besides hoofing it through the Minneapolis airport in 3 inch heels (because that's what you wear when you only have a carry-on and need them for your dress), because my 38 min layover was cut short by 10 min because of the gate not being open or something, I made it on time and well rested. I love sleeping on planes...
The funeral was Wednesday and it was sad, but it really helped to remind me of what is truely important in life. It's not the work, the stuff or me, but loving God and the people He has placed in your life. Grandma Barbee was all about loving Jesus and her family. It was good to see everyone and this will be the first time in many years that Josh gets to see his extended family two times in one year. And with Carter (our nephew) growing so fast, I can't wait to see him again in Sept when we come back with the boys.

They stayed with my parents and are having so much fun they really don't want to talk to us on the phone. SO if you ever call to talk to them, don't take it personally if they only say "Hi, Bye." They do it to their own parents too! The pictures are of them taken while I am gone and I picture of Josh and I at the Tigers game in Dallas. Notice Collin's pants. He did that all by himself. It has been 4 days and I am itching to be back with them. It was great to be able to see Josh though in the middle of our summer vacation. This was the first year he didn't have enough leave to come half way through so it was a blessing in the storm. He goes home on Saturday and I leave on the 4th. It will be good to get home in Aug, but I really am wishing for generational living arrangements or a nice commune...