One Step Closer

Our house is on the market. It's been decluttered and scrubbed and is patiently waiting on it's new owners to find it. While we are SO eager to move to Donkey Hill...it's nice that we are really in no rush to sell. I will say that keeping a house ready to show with 5 minutes notice at times...is no small feat. It is especially challenging with kids out of school. My Summer plan involves getting the house ready every morning and trying to find a way to keep the kids OUT of the house for the rest of the day.

We started transferring some "stuff" to our storage units this past week and everything started to feel "real". Are we really going to leave our home, someday? It is going to be so difficult to walk away from a home we love SO much. So many memories here. Our family was born here. 

At times I feel thankful that we have been given time to come to terms with this big life change. During our first few showings, I was a wreck. Yes...I cried. I wanted the people to get out of "our" house. I didn't want anyone to take it. As time passes...I am more okay with it and grow more excited for the next chapter of our lives.

It's been an interesting process, to say the least. We are praying that the right family finds our home and praying for patience in the Lord's timing.

 It's crazy the next time we will see these things is when we are moving into our home on the hill.

This wood box will hold firewood next to the fireplace and the "Cowabunga" sign will be in our pool bathroom. I think the fact that I buy stuff for a house that doesn't even exist yet - shows my level of excitement. :)

Every day we are one step closer. Donkey Hill...here we come! 

Spring on the Hill

Donkey Hill is always beautiful - but Springtime borders on magical....not as in "Unicorn, magical"...more like a "forget every worry and care that you have", kind of magical.

The trees explode with white blossoms.

The grass in the valley turns green, overnight.

During the Winter, the animals are excited at the sight of us...eager to feast on their hay and grain.

In the Springtime...they don't even lift their heads to say hello. They are content grazing on Springtime's fresh grass.

The Donkeys turn into snobs and we have to go to them if we want to pet them.

The bees swarm, frantically buzzing from one blossom to the next.

Piper has an extra spring in her step. 

 She even stops to smell the wildflowers. 

The shoes come off.

Okay. They were already off in Winter.

In fact, I don't think they have ever been ON. 

Which might have to change soon.

We were clearing debris and found this little lady.

It's a black widow. 

Let's call  her Mrs. Voorhees.

I screamed for Tom to kill her.

I assumed he would pick up a massive rock and smash her to pieces.

Instead? He violently flicks it with his finger and she explodes on impact.

While horrified and screaming at him that he has lost his mind...

I have to admit it was kind of hot.

He also uprooted my brother's tree with his bare hands, one time.

That was hot too.

Along with the bugs...the weeds emerge...but even they seem beautiful. 

I have a neighbor who is like the McGyver of the homeopathic world. She told me that this weed is great to create a tincture that can help Bronchial issues. 

I'm scared it I tried it, we would all take a sip and end up dead the next morning.

I will leave the tincturing to her.

The young peach tree blooms and we wonder if this is the year that the peaches will be ready to eat.

 

The pool landscaping comes to life and it's almost like I can hear the pool begging to opened.

"Open Meeeeee"....."Ohhhhhhpen Meeeee!" "OOOOPEN MEEEEE!" 

(That was my best ghost voice)

The kids explore. 

They love finding critters and fossils. 

The kids soak up the Spring sunshine and search for dinosaur bones on the driveway.

Bryce intends to be a Dinosaur Hunter when he grows up. 

Hopefully he doesn't want to hunt for living dinosaurs.

That could be an adulthood full of disappointment. 

 Springtime on Donkey Hill is so festive that even Cajun poops chocolate bunnies. 

They say Poodles are one of the smartest animals, but I have yet to see her sculpt her poop.

Pshaw, Piper.

My most favorite thing about Spring on Donkey Hill is that everything comes to life...

including our "inner redneck".

 That may or may not include brush hogging without a bra and/or peeing behind the pole barn.

Like I said...magical.

Summer Playlist 2013

Queen Latifah

Tom has always dreamt of having his own little hive of bees and producing our own honey. He has a buddy at work who has taught him all about it. They even went to a Beekeeper's meeting in Missouri and he got to rub shoulders with the experienced and hear all of their war stories.

We love Michael. Salt of the earth. The guy knows how to do everything that matters. It's always good to have friends like that.

His bees and equipment were ordered some time ago and finally cam in. He was so excited to put the frame together and prepare the home for his "soon-to-be" bees.

The post office called and told him that his bees had come in and they demanded he come in right away to pick them up. I imagined they would be in a box with a few holes cut into it. Instead, they came in this. (look at the "cage" next to the hive.

I then understood why the Post Office wanted to get rid of them so quickly.

He has so enjoyed going up to Donkey Hill and checking on them each day. He feeds them and always takes a minute to say hi to his Queen Bee, Latifah.

Mother Nature is incredible. It's amazing to learn about how bees operate and what their instincts are. I can't wait for a year from now, when I can slather a piece of warm toast with honey provided by Latifah and her posse.

If life has taught me on thing, it's that the best things are always worth waiting for.

2013 Summer Bucket List

It's that time of year again!

Camping on the Hill

Donkey Hill is the perfect place to camp and early Spring was the perfect weather to camp.

It was March but felt like May.

Bradley and Bryce set up the tent for a Father/Son night of camping.

I groomed Cajun while the boys were setting up their camp. Like clockwork...I finished grooming him and then this...

Our neighbor dog, Barney, came down to check things out.

Bradley had a flat tire, so he didn't hesitate in borrowing Karah's pink bike. One of the luxuries of Donkey Hill is being able to ride a pink bike without anyone seeing. You can also shoot your sister's gun and nobody will know.

 Karah was too busy posing in trees to notice.

Our neighbor buddies came over to play and roast hotdogs and marshmallows. 

We are lucky to have such fun neighbors.

Cute kids!

The kids had a blast. 

Cajun enjoyed some free time grazing out in the front pasture and didn't seem to mind the commotion that surrounded him.

The sun finally set. It was worth waiting for.

The kids gathered in the tent for some bedtime mingling. 

The grown ups continued to talk by the fire.

Darkness fell and it was time for bed. The neighbors went home and Karah and Mama headed back for their girls night at the house. 

They were snug as bugs in a rug and slept the whole night through.