quiet in the country...

An old friend of mine lives in the country. Her husband turned 60, so they had
a big Hoe Down! They have thirteen horses, one mule, dogs, and cats.
The kids had the best time. It was so peaceful. Jim asked me if I could
live in the country....not sure, I need to be close to The Mall, and Target etc......

My friends sister owns this horse, she said we could have it!!!! I don't think

our neighbors would like a horse in the backyard!

Here is the birthday boy putting a party hat on Otis!

Otis follows you around like a dog. Issy is taking him to the party!

Sometimes he sleeps in the garage!

We LOVE the ISF

Jim and the kids deciding what to eat next!

We bought two raffle tickets to win this horse! Not sure what we will do with it if we win, since we life in the city!

Just had a bath, so covering up to stay clean for the "show"!

The little calf was so cute, but then they grow up to be big!! This is where Caroline stepped in a big pile of cow poo!

Even as a kid, I have always loved the Iowa State Fair. I could spend hours, wondering around, and people watching Jim, and I and the kids met my brother, and his family Friday night. We had the best time!!! I am addicted to all the Infomercial products......I am embarrassed to say, that I purchased the "Swift" mop....my brother kept laughing at me...I used it for the first time today...I LOVED IT, I called my brother immediately and told him he must have one!!!

We are so lucky as a family that my parents bought a home at The Lake of the Ozarks about ten years ago. It is about a five hour drive from our home. Our kids love to go there and hang out. It was a little hot this time!! One day with the heat index it was 112!! We spent a lot of time in the water, but it began to feel like a hot bath!!! We are heading back for Labor Day to spend the weekend with my whole family, brothers, sister, and their families!

Here is a picture of the kids getting ready to go down the blow up slide my dad bought last year.

I see Grant and Isabelle.....hmm not sure where Caroline is??

The kids LOVE to go tubing!! I just watch from the boat!

Grant could tube all day....of course he had to go first!

You can see "sexy" Jim on the deck.....look real close!!!!

Isabelle, Grant and Caroline posing for a pic!

The day we left.....Miss Daisy also had a great time. We bought her a life jacket...the kids were so afraid she was going to drowned! She actually liked it!

108 degrees, but who is counting!!!!

we are at the lake of the ozarks......it is so hot, all you can do is bob in the water, and some spots are actually hot!!!!! i don't like to be hot, so i am inside right now in the air conditioning........went shopping today, enjoyed it for awhile, but then.......came home....too hot........my mom and dad leave tomorrow, and i would like to be in the car with them, but i guess i should stay with my family until they are ready to leave......i will add some pictures tonight or tomorrow. it is hell getting old.......

my dad starts chemo again on tuesday, and then will have his gold seeds implanted to begin the cyber knife treatments.........please continue praying for him.......

fingers and toes...

we are on our way to the the lake of the ozarks on friday! we need a vacation, and some family time together! jim has been traveling a ton lately.....hmmm hope we still like each other when we get back!!!! my sister-in-law took the girls to the mall yesterday for a pedicure, and a manicure, and a little shopping at claires. they picked out their own color scheme. isabelle wanted black, and i told her no way!

do you see anything missing??

My niece Olivia lost her front tooth today! She is going to be a first grader this year! Miss Livi is growing up way too fast, and I don't like it! She is delicious!!!!

nobody drowned.......

today at swimming lessons you were supposed to wear your clothes over your suit. they are going to teach the kids how to use their clothes as floating devices.....jack my nephew was so excited he had butterflies in his stomach, he said "do you think Miss Kim will let us drowned"!?? HA! all six of them jumped into the pool....they all started out fine, but as they began soaking, they started to panic a bit, and so did their moms!!! my sister and I had to jump ship, and leave. it was hard not to dive in and help them!! ....grant said it was good they had their crocks on because they float...grant will probably become obsessed with this and wear his crocks 24/7.....thank goodness we don't live by a large body of water!


grant jumped in first!

miss kacey making sure the children were safe!

here they are in survival mode......

get on your back, and relax! swimming lessons are now over.....miss caroline had to stop at the urgent clinic on the way home....ear infection........no pool for her for 10 days!