Our Tree

We had a big storm come through last night and we lost a large limb on our tree. This tree is so massive is hard to show it's magnitude in pictures,  but the limb alone that fell down is the size of a lot of trees. :(

Visitor

Look who I found on our trellis. :)

Big Weekend at the Paytons! Part II

We have this area in our back yard corner area.  It used to be a trash receptacle thing but it's not used for that anymore, not used for anything really.  Recently Luke and I had been talking about building a 2nd story on it and making a fort for the boys.  We had just begun really planning it out when we ran into our old neighbors who asked if the boys would like to have their old playhouse.  Their grandkids have outgrown it and they don't need or want it anymore.  We were so excited to surprise the boys with a new clubhouse this weekend!  

BEFORE:

Fortunately we have good and kind friends who have machinery and are willing to help us.  So our friend Casey brought over a backhoe with forklift arms.  Lifted it right off!

Heading to its new home :)  (about a mile)

Luke's mom Rebecca has a guy who works for her who is good with this type of thing so she had him come over to help Luke build the frame for it to sit on and also help build the deck area off to the side.  We also installed a pulley with a bucket for the boys to bring things up in.  

(interesting sun beam in the photo below.... :)  When I see things like this I like to think it' my Nana or a loved one up in heaven shining down on us.

It's a really cool clubhouse.  You go in from underneath and climb up a ladder into a trap door.  Then once you're inside you can close (and lock) the trap door if you want.  Inside it's a room with three windows that open and have screens.  There is also a ladder up to an attic space.  You walk out the front door onto the front porch/deck area and there's a door that closes and also locks.  Then we had the extra space on the side of the brick area so we built on a side deck.

Front deck - not a bad view!

Side deck.

Will asked if we could eat dinner up there tonight - of course we couldn't turn down that request!  So we had a quick easy dinner of leftovers there tonight.  We're so excited for them to make fun memories here over the years. (I'm excited to decorate it!:)  And so grateful for our generous, sweet, and thoughtful neighbors.

Big Weekend at the Paytons! Part I

This is our tree.

Luke keeps it mowed so nicely, a path down to it and a large circle mowed around it.  It's so sweet, and we always talk about spending time there (it's where we were married), but we don't go there very often.  I've been wanting to put a swing in and on Saturday we actually did it!  We got a long rope and a disc and made a rope swing.  It' about 30+ feet up in this tree and so the swing distance on it is incredible.   We've already had so much fun on it.   I'm so happy that now we have a new reason to go down there and for the boys to go there and to hang out there.  It's gorgeous with the birds singing, the peacefulness of it.  The whole reason we decided to get married there, now we can enjoy it more often!  And the boys love it.

Lemonade Stand

I had a yard sale on the square as part of the pre Earth Day celebration. A sort of "repurpose,  reuse" effort. The boys had a lemonade stand and donated all the money they raised to the Humane Society of Morgan County. I am so proud of them, and they were pretty proud as well :)  they raised just over $63 at last count. Great job!!

I'm not feeling well today which means I'm working extra hard to keep up with my life today, and working tripple hard to muster up the patience I need.  Here is a typical conversation today.

While eating dinner, Dane picks up a piece of paper that he's drawn a picture on for our neighbor Vicky.

Me: Dane, put that paper down it will get dirty.
Dane: What?
Me: Put that paper down it's going to get dirty.
Dane: What is?
Me: The paper.
Dane:  The paper?
Me: Yes!  Put it down!
Dane: Why?
Me: Because it might get dirty! Put it down!
Dane: (while still holding the paper) How's it going to get dirty?
Me:  From your messy fingers! 
Dane: What?
Me: PUUT IT DOWWWWNNN!!!!

Cue the guilt, an apology, and an explanation as to why I'm frustrated. 
Deep breaths..

Dear Lord, please give me extra patience today.

New Kid on the Block

 When Will was a baby, newborn probably, my mom got him a stuffed bear.  Sandy and Ron got him a stuffed turtle from a vacation they went on to the east coast I think.  Many people gave him stuffed animals, but these two: BearBear and TonTon, quickly became the clear favorites and were with Will every night for bedtime, every nap, always there.  For 6 years it was those two and his blanket and pillow.  This past Christmas, my mom and Chuck gave our family a zoo membership.  The zoo sent us a Welcome packet and included in it was a stuffed Beanie Baby monkey.  Will immediately picked it up and was playing with it.  After a night or two he brought the monkey to bed with him, TonTon, and BearBear.  I told him he needed to name his new monkey.  Then I remembered that Beanie Babies usually have a name.  It had the Beanie Baby tag attached to his ear.  I opened up the card and sure enough we found his name: Shweetheart.  Will thought that was hysterical.  He laughed and laughed.  

 

Shweetheart also gets the top spot, since he's the littlest.  TonTon goes on the bottom (fits best in Will's elbow) then BearBear and then Shweetheart on top. 

 

 

 

 

And here's the most precious thing I've heard in a long time... 

 

After a month or two of sleeping with Shweetheart the tag ripped off.  One night I was putting him to bed and told him I would cut the plastic piece off so it didn't scratch him.  "NO!" he exclaimed.  "Why?" I asked him.  "Because he won't be able to hear!" he said.  "He has a hearing aid like PaPaw and if you cut it off he won't be able to hear!"  

 

OH, you sweet boy.