Spring Break Visitors!! Saturday and Sunday......

As soon as we woke up Saturday morning we grabbed our coffee, hopped in the truck and headed down to do  critter chores. The sky was dark and storms were on their way so we were in a hurry!

As soon as we got out of the truck, the rain started! It rained the entire time we were feeding the animals. I wore my plastic crocs not thinking it would get too muddy too fast - and I was wrong. My crocs got caked with mud and were so heavy it was much easier to kick them off and go barefoot! I felt like a real country woman now!! After the chores were all done - and we were totally drenched - the sun came out and the clouds blew away! It was pretty for the entire rest of the day!

Louis Dean has been working on clearing out the bathroom and cleaning everything up.

We were expecting visitors Saturday night!

I cooked up a big batch of spaghetti with meat sauce and made a garland salad, and garlic bread plus some Jalapeno Poppers and an appetizer tray.

By the time we did all we meant to do - it was time to do critter chores again.

Evening chores are much easier than the morning ones.

As soon as the ducks see me going to the feed bin, they march to the small pond, swim across, and go straight up into the duck pen!

Louis Dean and I came back up to the camper and had a glass of wine on what we call the sunset deck.

This is where we put the work bench we found on the curb not long ago.

It makes a good cooking table.

All was right in our little camper home and we were ready for our company to arrive.

It was after dark Saturday night when Amber, Mike and the kids got here.

Amber had just come off 48 hours of being sick and then it took all day to pack and prepare for their spring break camping adventure.

The kids were beyond excited!!

Kailey came in screaming, "Granddad!!! GRANDDAD!!!"

We had such a good evening!

Dinner was ready and all of us ate while Mike was putting up the tent.

He had to eat last but at least the hard part was done.

After everyone was ready for bed, I joined them in the tent to hear Amber read a couple of chapters of The Boxcar Children. I loved reading this when I was a little girl! It made my life seem not so strange when I would read how other children managed to live on their own and cook and care for each other. By the time Amber read the last page, all four were sound asleep!

The geese woke everybody up this Sunday morning right at 8:00!

I guess they noticed the tent and waddled up to check it out.

I went ahead and got up because I knew the kids would be coming in any minute.

I looked out the window and, sure enough, they were spilling out of the tent - and the three horses were standing behind it just watching everything.

I made us all coffee!

I had my regular coffee but I made a separate little pot of weak coffee and lots of milk.

They each put one sugar cube in their cup and I poured in a teaspoon or two of hot coffee. They stirred it to melt and then added the coffee from the small pot. Amber had left bags of small donuts so we had our own little coffee party and watched Mr. Jackson's cows and donkeys while we sipped and ate.

Then it was time to do the critter chores but now I had four helpers!

They are such big kids now!!

We love.....MeeMaw!!!

The horses loved Logan and she loves them.

We carried carrots down for them to eat.

We fed the ducks and the chickens, the peacocks and the guineas.

Then we walked over to feed the goats.

It was pretty cool!

Back up at the camper, I made a big country breakfast using the eggs we had just gathered!

Some big eggs......some small banty eggs. I cooked them all!

We spent the day doing all sorts of activities.

Lots of teachable moments......

Mike showing Harrison how to whittle......

Granddad explained how to mix cement.

Louis Dean used the old steel bumper from the camper to make a curb stop for when he parks the truck. He showed Harrison how to build the form, mix and pour the cement and then we all put our initials in it!

Sherry came back from Dallas late this afternoon and took each one of the kids on a ride in her red tractor!

They all loved it!!!!

Kailey calls her "Aunt CHERRY!"

I took a nap and Louis Dean worked in his shop while everyone else went down to fish.

It was one adventure after another!

Logan made this art project on her very own with things she found right around the camper.

Pebbles, gravel, rocks, wild flowers, and a piece from a wind chime - all artistically placed on a found piece of wood.

Amber cooked a great dinner tonight!

Grilled smoked sausage, roasted corn on the cob, roasted potatoes and zucchini.

Aunt Sherry provided the evening's entertainment - fireworks!

It was a wonderful day!

Everyone is asleep now except me - and I will say good night now and go to bed.

Hopefully the geese know what's happening now and won't wake up up so early!!