April Showers

 Howdy :)

I hope this finds everyone well, finishing the school year strong, and looking forward to summer. How can we almost be ready to enter the summer season?  Didn't we just finish summer and start school?

Here is the shower of picture tidbits of April that were caught on film :)...

...my reblooming irises are blooming this year...and I am in love...

...April Fool's is a must-do in this household...we celebrated KeKe's birthday on April Fool's this year, and of course, the pop got all switched up, and the pizza boxes, let's just say the first couple of them, were empty--lol!...

...KeKe and her beautiful pink egg cake...

...on her actual birthday morning, she got a gift from Mommy and Daddy, a pink bike, and a gift from her siblings, and Rokey G'parents... 

...our stop at Home Depot took us ALL over the store...KeKe got tired and big sister kindly offered a piggy back ride...

...Maple Pumpkin Sourdough Scones...

...Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones...

...I love the ponytail palm and succulent planter...

...the momma goats and kids and the ducks make for a peaceful sight...

...a fun puzzle collection...

...my landscape rock pickup crew :)...

...and why, yes, someone else wanted in the picture too :)...

...enjoying the wind on the face...

...for sure, I LOVE bugs!!!  Right now, June bugs are my favorite: I feed them, play with them, and cry when they die....this girl, lol :)...

...homemade pop tarts by Kirk for a school baking contest that was spring and floral-themed...and yes, he did win :)...

...the llama and goat planter are pretty special gifts from Kirk, and they have now found a home on the piano...

...freshly juiced juice that is termed the Liver Juice in our house...the efforts that I am going through to help heal my liver from a recent diagnosis of Lyme disease, so I can hopefully eradicate it from my body...where there is a vision/plan, there is hope...

...and yes, Jason actually thinks the little white bantam pullet is one of the cutest chickens we have on the place :D...

...being a big helper taking letters to the mailbox...

...this cat just cracks us up...he is a hoot and hilarious!!!...

...all the cats love the puzzle table when they are in, much to my irritation, as puzzle pieces get knocked all over...

...yes, please, yes, let me into the sauna with you...Kitty, you wouldn't last long!...

...enjoying the front porch just as much as we do...

... frustratingly, this same kitty thought he needed to follow us all the way to the neighbors to swing on the tree swing and then the swingset...

...see who followed us down the road from the tree swing...

...yes, the girls enjoyed some time, with momma enjoying the sun and swinging...

...LOL, what is it with these kitties and wanting in the sauna, too...

...grrr, but also a chuckle at how much they love the puzzle table...

...don't you smile, little girl...

...and there is her beautiful smile :)...

...why sure just some whipped cream in a cone with sprinkles is the best and easiest dessert...

...our family split up for the eclipse...these three headed to San Saba to see it, and the other three stayed home due to the homework load, and naptime was super needed for the littlest one...

...my phone made the picture MUCH lighter than it should have been...

...such an amazing phenomenon...

... this tree swing so loved and such fun to swing on...

...Our math tutor, who has helped us and been such a big blessing the past three years with the boys' math, has also become one of the girls' favorites. They jumped in one of the college graduation poses that was taken by our place for memories...

...another pic I missed earlier on of the boys all spiffed up...

...one of the many game nights at our house...

...a lovely turned out Sourdough Sandwich loaf...

...butchering chickens...two went straight to the smoker and turned out some of the best eating-yum!...

...Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Cream Cheese Frosting. The crew said they were some of the best cinnamon rolls ever...

...they are going, going, and were gone shortly after this pic...

...CCA field trip in Dallas to the zoo... We are SO spoiled with the Omaha Zoo, and it is so close to where we grew up and moved from that any other zoo just doesn't hold a candle to it. So it makes it very hard to enjoy zoo trips when we love going to the Omaha Zoo and have made more than one trip when we have been back visiting family. The fun of seeing fellow CCA students at this zoo trip, though, was a highlight for Janessa...

...touch tanks are always fun...

...this little one absolutely LOVED the carrousel and fell apart crying when it was time to get off...

...petting one of the snakes...

...the elephants were playing in the water in the background...

...we decided to join some of the CCA families that went to Great Wolf Lodge after the field trip...we snagged a coupon earlier for GWL that made it very reasonable...the girls had a blast!...getting ready to head to the water...

...Daddy took the girls to the water park by himself, as my Lyme stuff was flaring up, and it was best for me to stay in the room...I worked on LOTS of graduation stuff and accomplished a lot, so my time was not wasted...this man is a pretty awesome dad, and we are so thankful for him!...

...enjoying a mid-swim snack and food...

...heading home...we did a bit of shopping on the way home, and the girls each ended up with a needed item and then an item that was not so needed...how does this happen, lol....

...I think this girlie picked up a virus from our time in Dallas. She was NOT herself for a few days, and this was a common sight during that time. This was already on top of one of the hardest weeks our family has had in a long time. It was a week I was so thankful to see the end and so thankful that we made it through. It was not always pretty or graceful making it through this particular week, but we made it...

...little sister wants to be like a big sister...LOL...one is truly not feeling well, and one is playing, not feeling well...

...even though they were cuddles and wanting to be held due to not feeling well, I'll take getting to cuddle and snuggle her, as I don't get to do that as often anymore...

...helping feed the bottle baby...

...a cool, slow, quiet Saturday morning and books equals this...

...Jadon and Kirk flew to Colorado to go remote camping with this loved great-aunt...they had a wonderful time and said it was so worth going, and even though they started out with great weather, they ended the camping weekend with a snowstorm, they made lots of memories...

...Kirk even got to do some geocaching...

...and then mid-way through, one morning, they woke up to this...brrrr!...

...trying to stay warm...

...yum...I do think they ate well, though...

...love these two young men...they are such a blessing to our family and life...

Wow, it's the end of the school year, and summer is right there...our summer has some super busy, crazy times with some pockets of time that are slower and not so crazy...my purpose is to enjoy each one of the crazy moments and slower moments...how about y'all?

I love thoughts and quotes that inspire us to be more than we are, better ourselves, or challenge us. Here are a few to ponder at the start of the summer. Blessings and love to all!

"Happiness isn't something that depends on our surroundings...It's something we make inside of ourselves."   ~corrie ten boom

"...bring sunshine where there is rain, courage where there is fear, and hope where there is despair."  ~taken from 'Lord Bless My Child' book

A couple thoughts/quotes taken from Janessa's Horizon math book that I have loved this year: 

"Freedom is not an opportunity to do as you please but the liberty to do what you should."

"The books you read are as important as the company you keep.  They both influence your character."