Favorite Time of Evening

I love this time of the evening.

Yup..pretty much sums it up

Shel Silverstein

Peaches

Tractor Pull

Nothing says middle America like an antique tractor pull.  I took the kids to see my Uncle Fred who pulls all over the midwest.  

What do you do when nobody is pulling yet?  You catch bugs and inspect them.  

My Uncle Fred.  Half of the best Pulling Team in Illinois.  The other half is my Uncle Bill who was pulling in Missouri the same night.

I was a bad mommy....forgot earplugs.

The start of a first place pull.

First place!!

It was a beautiful night.

Fishing with Dad

13 Bass.  Very proud kids and a yummy super.  

R.I.P Mr. Big

I'm sorry to have to report to you but Mr. Big is no longer with us.  We came home and found him laying in the field.  Apparently he was the victim of a hawk.  

Such an ordinary end for such a fabulous looking rooster.  

Within minutes of finding him in the neighbor's hay field guess who showed up.....the hay rake.  So, I had to run out there and properly dispose of him before he raked.

I'm really sorry to see Mr. Big go because he really was the most amazing looking Rooster but.....it's going to be a LOT quieter around her in the mornings with only one rooster.

Cave-in-Rock in the 100 Degree Heat

Nothing says family togetherness like everyone piling into the car when it's 100 degrees and visiting local landmarks.   We had been talking about taking the kids to Cave-in-Rock in Southern Illinois for awhile and decided it wasn't going to get any cooler anytime soon so we might as well go.  

I have really always thought this was just the coolest place.  Cave-in-Rock is carved into the side of a rock hillside right on the Ohio river between Illinois and Kentucky and has been mentioned in travel diaries since the early 1700's.  That's what I think is so cool.  The history of this place is amazing!  People have been using this place for shelter and to do good and bad for hundreds of years and I get to stand right where they stood.

Since I was little I've always looked at the top of the cave and seen J & BC Cole's name written with smoke or paint.  I couldn't even imagine how high the water had to be for him to write his name up there.  This past spring the Ohio again completely filled the cave and many others wrote their name all over the top of the cave.  It made me sad but then I thought when is writing on cave walls considered history and when is it graffiti?   

The kids had a really good time running all over the cave.  I just liked that it was 20 degrees cooler in the cave.  And now.....prepared to be amazed....I'm actually posting a picture of myself on this blog.  This is a first!  Be amazed!

And now...on to more HOT summer fun!  

What Happens On The Porch....

......Stays on the Porch.  

Just what every proper sitting-porch needs.

Chickens on my Doorstep

Remember that movie about the ones we do not speak of?  You don't?  Well, it's scary as hell and freaked me out....but it's SO good so go rent it!  Every since THAT movie I've had an unnatural fear of giant chickens with red cloaks.  Actually, a fear of giant chickens dressed in red cloaks is NOT an unnatural fear.  Fear them!  

So, one night I open door and THIS is sitting on my door step.  This is NOT natural.  The only thing that kept me from drop kicking it was the ice cream.   No need to harm the ice cream.  

My dear friend Haley thought I needed this for my front porch.  I think she is right.  My friends are so strange!

Perfect Flip

We spend a LOT of time outside and in the pool.  Some days they get up, put their suits on and are out till dark.  Only coming in to potty and demand food.  

 All that pool time has created quite a pool shark.

 Perfect!!

Lincoln's New Salem Villiage

We have decided instead of taking a large trip this year to take a couple of day trips and maybe a camping trip this summer.  There are so many fun places to see within a couple hours drive and it's crazy that we don't take advantage of it more.  

A couple of weeks ago we visited Lincoln's New Salem Village near Springfield, IL.   

Such a picturesque little community.  Exactly what we want someday....but with a Target close by of course.

They were having their summer festival and it was a lot of fun to walk among the reenactors.   

The Temperance Society was selling lemonade and water to quince your thirst.

We were able to show the kids where Abe Lincoln once walked and slept and how people lived at that time.

 The kids had a lot of fun spinning yarn, making soap and eating kettle corn.

The kids wanted to look the part.

We had a really relaxing day.  The weather was cool(er), the kids enjoyed themselves.  The Hunter loved looking at all the garden plots and I just loved it that everyone was getting along and I got to get out of the house.