6.27.2011

Berry Fun Times



Nothing says summer like strawberry picking! 



My partners in crime.



Dear Lord.  Please help me not to eat this scrumptious child. 
The teeth are gone.  Therth's a lithp.  This yoke is not easy.  Amen. 



We're never the quietest row of berry pickers, but most likely the most entertaining! 


Strawberry Sisters






Trying to convince her mother that THIS TIME the berry
she picked was not a rotten one.  It in fact was,
but that's beside the point, don't you think? 

















On the menu for dinner:  strawberry soup, strawberry wine, strawberry salad,
strawberry pie, strawberry gumbo, strawberry....you get the drift.  :-) 

6.23.2011

On the Road Again



The Buchanan girls were Northern bound once again for Father's Day weekend!

The North woods pulled out all the stops for us once again...campfires, s'mores, fish fry, kayaking, canoe-ing, camper cuddling, hiking, music, ice cream, exploring, photography, family, swimming (no pics because it was an impromptu swim and the kids were in their underoos...hilarious though!). 

I don't think we stopped moving all weekend! 



You can almost SMELL the sense of adventure on the ride up. 
(and yes, I am THAT good of a driver to take a picture while driving).  :-) 


One of our favorite hangouts


I had to basically pry my hand from that kayak to let her out there on her own....it just didn't seem natural to be releasing such a teeny little person out into a big lake in her own ride!  She did amazing!!





It rained pretty much the whole weekend, but we didn't let it stop us. 
Being out on the lake or hiking through the woods with a gente
rain falling was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL experience! 


Unfortunately we forgot we had put a 6 inch hole in our camper last Fall while packing it up, so Camp Buchanan was offering an indoor "waterfall suite" this trip.  It was so lovely.  In a really not lovely kind of way. 


Happy Father's Day to the BEST Dad ever!  He works the hardest up North to keep everyone in campers/boats/fishing equipment/bikes/trails/and whatever else kind of trouble we get into (and they let us use their SHOWER!!!)  Thanks, Mufaro and Dahlia, for the amazing time and countless memories you give us!


Wonder what she's looking at? 


This!  :-)


Tuck Finn


Beauty EVERY.where.









We love to look for turtle eggs down by the lake.  Usually we find the nests all dug up by critters with empty shells all over the place, but this time we actually found some whole eggs!  It's a wonder turtles ever get to hatch around there...it seems something likes to eat the eggs before they get a chance! 



Garret with the love of his life. 


Like father, like son.


I (heart) little boys with dirt smears on their cheeks.






Clam on the move!  Luca had fun finding empty clam shells, and her mother had fun trying to smuggle them into someone else's car for the ride home. 

(it didn't work...shoot). 









Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair.
-Kahlil Gibran-




6.20.2011

Soccer Clinic


Bren finished up a week of soccer clinic last week before
the girls and I headed North for some camping! 


My little soccer pie smilin' at her #1 fan.


































Camping pictures to come! 


6.14.2011

Been Farmin' Long? Oh, About 4 Months.


We got to take part in a little farming this week!  

We went out to help work the calves (which are beginning to look more like COWS than calves these days!), and I have to say, I LOVED it...those farmers have something figured out and they're not letting the rest of us in on it!  What a therapeutic job they have!  I'm sure it's not for everyone, but I think I could spend quite a few of my days out there in the fresh air (fresh, of course, being a relative term). 


You just really can't beat the view!


"Watchin' my corn pop up in rows"...love that song! 
(that's not really my corn)
(just thought I should clarify after the whole cow-buying incident of 2011)



She's mine though.  I love her.  A lot. 



Everyone gathered for the occasion.



 Some of us were a little more eager than others.



Down the chute into this lovely little contraption (to hold them in place)...
a liiiiitle pinch on the ear, then free to go!



 That's Daniel herding...if you would have told me he would be herding cows (HIS cows!!!) 15 years ago, I would have told you you done lost your marbles! 


The girls sat watch on the back of the truck so as not to get trampled (Don't you just hate it when your babies get trampled by a herd of cows??  Me too!!), and Brenin served as officicial photographer.


FACT:  The calves handled their shots a WHOLE lot better than this one handles her shots.  (and she's losing her top front tooth, but it's kind of just dangling there, not wanting to come out and not wanting to set back in place since there's a new one already growing in behind it). 



This is me lookin' all farmerish. 
I'm thinkin', "Oh yeah, I'm farmin!  I got poop on my arm!" 

Cool, huh?


After we'd finished, I thought everything was cool between us
and the cows...you know, no hard feelings...but I turned
around on the way out and happened to see THIS going on behind my back!   


Trust us, dear....this hurts US a lot more than it hurts you. 

Okay, maybe it hurts you a little bit more,
but that's the line my folks always gave me!

(He doesn't look like he's buying it).