Memorial Day drive

On Monday we went on a drive. It was such a beautiful day and we loved getting out in it for the afternoon.

Look at the wild flowers! The water is clear and cold right off the snow.

Does anyone recognize this picture? My brothers and sisters should. We went on a drive up the Mountain Loop highway. This is the cabin we lived in for a summer above Verlot when I was about 10 years old. It seems to me like it used to be green, is that right Lynn or Doris, Roy was too young to remember.... ?? Jack?
And here is Green Gables general store. They had good penny candy and I remember the night the owners shot a bear that was getting in our garbage. They hung him in the shed and gutted him so they could make a bear rug.
Anyone like skunk cabbage? It looks so pretty but you are in trouble if you bring it home for a bouquet! It stinks sooooo bad.

There was snow up on the highway. I kick myself because I didn't take a picture up further where the road was closed. The highway still had about 4 feet of snow on it where they quit plowing so we turned around and went home instead of going on to Darrington.
This is Big 4 mountain. The road to the ice caves was closed and has to be rebuilt starting this summer. There was a trail open however.

It was a beautiful drive and a wonderful Memorial Day!

Family Potluck

Sunday evening after church we had a potluck dinner here at our place so everyone could come over and visit with Tracy and Steve who were here visiting from Utah. Like normal we completely forgot to take pictures until the food was gone and the kids were off playing a Ring Toss game. The food was wonderful and there was plenty of it!
We invited Meledie to join us, then there was Dorrels and Stephanies family, Janice and Matt, Shreilyn, Joel and family, Tracy and Steve, Mom and Pops and Us.

It's hard to tell we had so much good food!

Mom and Pops had a great time!

After dinner we went in the house to sit around and visit for a while. Janice had a better idea..

She brought her nail stuff and filed and painted Tracy's toenails. Tracy loved it and said she felt very spoiled and pampered! LOOK HOW CUTE!
Then she did MY nails and Sherlyn's nails. We had a really fun evening!!! Thanks Janice and everyone.

Tomatoes, weeds and flowers!

Mom and pops have complained about how poorly the tomatoes do here in Washington. They started growing them under the eves of the carport where the rain doesn't get them as bad. During the winter mom and I saw an add in a magazine and decided to send away for our topsy turvey tomato planter. I know a lot of you have tried them but mom and I each got one and are determined to show the guys how wonderful of tomatoes we can grow. Now if it really will work we will be so happy!!! We have some baby birds in the birdhouse so the parents aren't very impressed with them but buy the time we are eating tomatoes they will have flown the coop!
Mom didn't like the looks of the area where last years tomatos grew which was now a weed patch so she pulled the weeds. We rewarded her hard work by planting flowers.
Dave picked them out and the colors were beautiful together. Not bad for a color blind guy!

Mom kept saying she was so glad she started pulling the weeds!

Pretty isn't it?

The barn

This picture was taken of the barn a few weeks ago before the chicken coop was built or things were all cleaned up. Our reason for showing it is so you can see the roof. It leaked! Where the sky lights were it was a constant big leak and couldn't be fixed without a new roof.
We talked to Bro. Allen in our ward and had him come and give us a bid. We had to choose a color. We picked brown because it stays looking clean and doesn't show mildew after a few years like the white did.
He sent out his best crew because he said he has to see us every week at church and wants us to be real happy! Boy they were fast and good and we really are happy.

This is Dave and Bro. Allen settleing up after a job well done.

Thanks Russ, now our food storage and everything else will stay nice and dry!

Stuff, more stuff and Mothers Day!!!

I'm sure you get weary of reading about our projects but that is what we do with our life and it is fun to show someone so either read or scan thru this quickly and pretend that you loved it!!! This week we put up a new split rail fence to go down to the garden.
Mom and Pops need something to hold on to to steady them when going down the stairs. I personally love this rustic type of fence but I think Pops thought it was sad to go back to that type now that there are such new smooth nice types available.

Mom wanted to know if we were going to sand it and paint it! Well....... awh.... no?!

When we finally got it in they both love it! Whew!

It really does look good and it works good for them. It was a fun and necessary project.

Dave and Pops had to get a little creative but did a good job.

All done! Now what?

Dave edged the driveway and gained at least foot and sometimes 2 feet on each side! That is about 3 to 4 feet wider in some places! We didn't know the driveway was so nice and wide!!!
While Dave was edging the driveway I decided to redu these old chairs of Moms. I am also putting this naugahide on the benches of the picnic tables. I'm still not quite finished with the 2nd chair. They sit on the patio so they were pretty worn out but had good bones.

MOTHERS DAY

Tricia said she thinks her calf "Big Mac" was the most unique mothers day present of all. Pickles wants to challenge that!!! She says what is another cow? For mothers day Dave brushed pickles hair and got her all gussied up. (She is a mother too you know.) He even bought her a special comb and combed her hair on her tail. But my surprise present came from Jareds kids. Malory, Lily and Lewis.
They bought me these 3 new chickens. They even named them! The Black one is Lewis's and he is named "Blue". The brown one next to him is Mallory's and it's name is "Isabelle". The buff one in front is Lilly's and it's name is "Lilly the beautiful flower". Wow what can I say? When you all come and visit maybe we will have blue eggs... or flowers or??? Humm. Thank you so much! Eat your heart out Tricia!

Dave, (with mom and Pops help) built me a swing for mothers day! It was a fun surprise.

Grandpa likes it! See grandpa go! Go grandpa go!

See grandma. Funny funny grandma! Look high grandma.

See grandma go! Go grandma go.

Go go go

Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!
Thanks everyone for a wonderful Mothers day!!