We had a lovely beginning to our summer! We tried to do some things the first week of June that we knew would get crowded when all the school districts were out, so we went to the zoo with Mandy and my mom.
It started to warm up and the water play began.
The chicks got so much bigger.
The kids continued with their origami and Brian made up his own flowers.
Our friends gave the boys their box turtles. Brian named his Sophie and Timmy named his Harry Potter.
We spent time researching box turtle's needs and setting up the terrariums.
We went up to the ranch and the boys had a blast floating down the ditch.
It took a week or two of adjustment to have these two helpers with me for all my errands and always in the car, but it is one of the reasons I love summer! They are always with me!
Miss Pip adjusted to having them home all day too.
Mark set up his coral rocks in his tank.
The boys and I went to Steve Regan (the farmer store) for the twentieth time since school got out. I was trying to acquire all the materials needed for the new fencing we were putting in the field and to get it just right there were returns, and home for discussions with Mark, and then more materials, and more materials etc. Every time we went someone said, "We're going to Steve Regan again?" Even Pip got in on the Steve Regan runs. Most of the time it was before 8:00 in the morning so we could take the truck before Mark took it to work. I think there were a few days the boys were still in their pajamas.
Finally Mark's tank was ready for water.
and then ready for lights.
Mark had to spend a whole week at girl's camp this year. He drove the truck and the trailer full of all the gear.
While he was away we went up the ranch for a night. I took the kids to the rec center for some swimming.
Pip got to go swimming at the ranch like always.
Timmy and Caitlin became best buddies on this ranch stay and they have been two peas in a pod ever since.
We slept in the Teepee that night along with Pip and the random cat that started living at the ranch.
When Mark returned from girl's camp we got to work on the fencing in the field. We all tried our hand at pounding posts, but none but Mark could actually get those posts in.
We worked so hard and got all the panels up and now we have a track system paddock. The horses are forced to walk around the perimeter of the field to get from their food to water and shade thus getting more exercise and providing a place in the middle we can start to grow some grass! Too bad it got blazing hot as soon as we finished it. Growing grass may have to wait for next year, but I am so excited!
Father's Day came about and we were so happy to celebrate Mark and our dads! Mark had to speak in church and did an amazing job! We love this guy so much!
Later that day we went to the Hsiao house for a special crab dinner!
That week we had to pay someone to take down our other tree that died. This one was the main shade in our backyard and I was very very sad to see it come down.
The boys only have a little shade now in the sandbox.
We said goodbye to the neighbor's cow and calf as they left to go back up to Oakley.
Mark had some family come into town. His great uncle and two great aunts came to visit with his Grandmother while she was here. They had a lot of fun watching the kids write Chinese characters.
The next day they all came over to our house for dinner and Tony and Margaret slept in our new basement guest room!
Each day I become more fond of this sweet girl.
She was the one that helped me find where our little chicken Snowball was secretly laying her eggs. Snowball had been sneaking through the fence and into the shed where she was laying in this lawn mower bag!
Mark obtained a bunch of free river rocks, so we made a drainage area for the driveway water in the field.
Mark's dad hatched some chicks! There is nothing cuter than baby chicks!
Timmy has been very very good with Pip. He takes her out in the morning and plays with her often. I love looking out the window to see him playing fetch with her.
One day I took mark's parents and grandmother up to Oakley for a day out. We stopped at the ranch and then went to lunch at the Drug Store. Unfortunately I ruined part of the day by bringing Pip and then leaving the windows open enough in the car that she could squeeze out. She was running around Kamas like a crazy dog and we could not find her and when we did get a glimpse of her she was gone in 2 seconds. We had to enlist the help of the police to catch her. I was totally embarrassed and felt so bad for taking so many people's time with my dumb mistakes. I am glad we finally found her and I know never to do that again.
We did make it up to Provo River Falls. Such a beautiful place.
When we got home Pip would not leave the car. I wonder if she realized how scary it is to run away from the car in an unknown town.
We got to know the turtles better through June.
Brian went to Cub Scout Camp for a few days. He loved it.
I took some pictures of Chip so I could sell him. He just wasn't progressing much with me and the kids did not love riding him.
We ended up selling him a few weeks later. It was sad to say goodbye and to break up the Chip and Jojo duo, but I think he will be used more and become a really great pony with his new horse trainer owner. Goodbye Chip and goodbye June. On to July!