May's Marches

 Howdy Folks :)

May's Marches were full, full, full!  It was a month filled to the brim with finishing school, graduating our oldest, gatherings and fellowships, travel, storms, flooding, among many other things, and the normal daily mundane...

...the 'watchdog'...

...this furball's newest place to sleep...squished on the windowsill behind Kirk's desk...

...why sure, I am totally helping with homework...

...the beauty around us in the most ordinary places and if we look for it we will see it...

...Sourdough Rhubard gluten-free cobbler cake...

...I love the sweet things my oldest girl makes me...I love her so...

...well, hello there :)...

...we had so many storms, rain, hail, lightning, and flooding in May...the beauty of the stormy skies helps make up for the negative sides of the storms themselves...

...flooding...it has been crazy!...this is our front lawn and driveway...

...our fire pit was sitting in water...our backyard was pretty much a pond of water...

... the road in front of our house going into town was entirely covered in water...

...our driveway has washed out 3 times now due to heavy rains this wet spring...the driveway is scheduled to get an overhaul and lift soon...

...Jadon speaking to some of the youth at church...it was the most nervous I've seen him in a while, but he did just fine and seemed like a natural public speaker...

...Janessa's last few days at CCA for this year...she really wanted to play a piano piece, even though she isn't really taking lessons...so, she picked a simple piece and worked on it until she felt confident enough to do it...

...goodbye 23/24 school year...

...we all went to CCA field day and KeKe found one of her favorite people...

...go Janessa...

...Janessa's team didn't get first but they came in second...

...pizza after field day...

...we loved getting to have this sweet lady here again...

...bedtime reading...

...breaking open a pinata at a birthday party of one of Janessa's friends...

...well this will be interesting on doing hair now, LOL..."I was just cutting my hair like you cut Daddy's"...

...yep, she should be in bed...yep, it's late...yep, she acts as if she has consumed multiple espresso shots(she hasn't)...she says she is working out...she did finally konk :)...

...after nap snuggles :)...she is 100% GO when fully awake, so I don't mind these moments...

...reflecting on Ascension Day...

...another great book to read and make the recipe at the end...both are excellent!...

...helping out at church for Mother's Day...I love the blessing of our church and church community...

...my guys discovered this...I think, they think it's the next best thing, but especially for a dessert treat...this one thing was fought over, lol :)...

...these two...oldest and youngest...love them...

...a huge first bloom on such a little cactus...

...waiting for Mommy for bedtime reading...they made themselves very comfy :)...

...they love their big brothers...

...baking day...

...Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Espresso Sourdough Artisan loaf...

...Sprouted Eikorn Sourdough Sandwich loaves...

...the Intermission Bookshop...one of our favorite places to stop...

...well, good morning :)...

...this young gal wanted to run with her brothers when they ran a race...she did the 1-mile fun run while the boys ran a 7k...

...here comes Jadon...

...here comes Kirk...

...I am so glad they made this memory together...

...some sheep and goats in a pen by the race that day...this gal climbed in to see them :)...

...Daddy's helper :)...

...absolutely one of our favorite pools to swim in...we can walk to it and we love the layout of it...it's perfect for KeKe who doesn't swim well but doesn't like being left out...

...thrilled accurately describes their excitement over the letters they got from G'ma in the mail...

...why yes, I see you...

...we are calling the ducklings that hatched the Resilient Ducklings...we had put duck eggs under a couple of chicken hens that had been setting for a couple weeks...duck eggs take longer to hatch, but we thought they'd stay the course...they didn't...there were about 3 days the eggs hardly got sat on and they were down to just a few days from hatching...we borrowed an incubator and the next day they started hatching...such cuteness...

...Jadon did Cross Classical Academy for 2 years(7 & 8th grades), and this class he graduated from 8th grade with...they met up with their various high school gowns/caps for a few snapshots...it was such a great idea and fun to snap some of them as seniors...

...re-make of the 8th grade 'silly' picture...

... We mamas of this graduating crew realized they are all our firsts to graduate and leave the nest...

...Kirk loves geocaching...the Brownwood lake has several...we spent an evening at the Brownwood Lake State Park hunting down geocaches and enjoying a slow, quiet evening by the water...everyone enjoyed it...

...heading to the island out there to find a geocache...

...she absolutely loved wading...

...hiking some of the trails to find some geocaches...

...and he found one...

...Jadon's graduation reception...we are thankful for everyone who came to support him and wish him well in the next season of life, and those who sent encouragement and well wishes in the mail...it was an evening of friends, fellowship, and blessings...

...loved how the cake turned out...

...our backyard has seen tons of people and is a great place to hang out and fellowship...

...have loved seeing how these three have been such good friends...also, thankful for how the two native Brownwoodians opened their friendship up to Jadon when he moved to Texas, that was a huge blessing!...

...we presented Jadon an actual sword, as a reminder to live his life with truth, honesty, and integrity... it's a milestone marker...

...the group that hung around for the sword presentation...

...I spy someone swinging his littlest one :)...

...I snagged a couple hours one Sunday evening and slipped away to the tree swing for some quiet and book reading...thanks to Jason for making it happen...it is refuel for my body and the week ahead...the views from the swing...I did have a mockingbird screeching at me the whole time...I  am assuming he thought I was an invasion, lol :)...

...the senior breakfast honoring all the graduating seniors at church...

...the Sunday School teachers and mentors in the student's lives went around and prayed over the students...such a blessing to these students' lives...

...Jadon was awarded one of the Mason Williams Scholarships...he is honored and challenged to do the best he can in his future training for paramedics and firefighting, to honor the memory of the young man of the scholarship he was presented with...

...we hosted another Logos Online fellowship...the last one for the 23/24 school year...it was a wonderful time and we had close to 100, thanks to each and everyone who made the effort to come...thanks to all who helped with set-up or providing different things...it was also amazing to see all the kids, whom many are online classmates...

...part of the set-up crew :)...

...various pics of the afternoon :)...

...the girls checking on the new little birdlets :)...

...our Memorial Day lunch and reflecting on what Memorial Day is all about...

...caught!!!...my homemade ice cream thief, lol!!...

...she is SO excited to fly, yet nervous!  We are headed to Idaho for Jadon's graduation and Logos Online's year-end-celebration weekend, where Logos Online headquarters are...

...I get the privilege of sitting between my two sweet girlies :)...

...for landing the littest one wanted to be by the big guys to see out the window seat(my row didn't have a window)...all went well until landing and then she decided she didn't like riding in an airplane :D...

...before the landing-ha...

...I think maybe everyone is a bit excited to go for Logos Online's Year End Celebration and Graduation weekend...

...landed in Washington, headed to get our rental, then on to Idaho...this little lady was determined to roll Kirk's carry-on :)...

...the rest of this trip will be continued in June's post :)...

Summer started out super busy, but finally hit a slower phase...soaking up every moment!!  

"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously.  This is how character is built."  ~eleanor roosevelt

"The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities. "

~steven covey

The below quote pretty much sums up what living an intentional and purposed life is...

"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy, I'm telling you it's going to be worth it."

~art williams