compare

What do you think? Do these two have any resemblance to each other?

Making the Paper

So I just have to share these articles with everyone. A 'space needs' consultant did a study at the library in April, and reported his findings to city council on Tuesday. I thought it went well. The newspaper did a write up on his report. Here is that link for what they said. (And, I might add, they got it right!) http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1646349.html
Then today, there was an editorial in the paper. Here is that link: http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1646652.html
See what you think!

Month long absence

Ok Ok, Thanks for the messages from my vast readership :) (as they say). Nonetheless, it has been a very busy June. First a wedding. Those are way more fun than funerals, let me just say. This one was no exception. Second, our annual trip to the zoo. It was fun to get together. Nathan won the family contest. I'm not sure how that happens. And hey, there were even pretty nice prizes! We were supposed to do our first camping trip of the summer last weekend, but we ended up enjoying a mighty storm at home because Ron was definitely not up to the trip. More on that later....

Here are grandkids in all their glory. I don't have enough room to post them all, so I'll just put up a few of my favorites:

All of these taken in the space of just a few seconds. Can you tell?

Biking with the Boys

Here's how we spent our Saturday of the long weekend! It's hard to believe these boys are big enough to do this with us. We had such great fun! And to think, Isaiah would have been happy if we'd ridden around in the parking lot. He had no idea the trails were so cool! I think he'll be willing to do this again. And Phinehas was just as happy pushing along downhill on his scooter. Grandpa was glad he didn't have to go too far. Only a mile.

Summer Tasks

We aren't doing too much to start our summer, i.e. Memorial Day weekend. No camping or canoeing anyway. A visit to Sioux Falls for a backyard picnic maybe. So we started last night on our main summer project-painting. That is, painting the garages and house. Oh, and we are cleaning and sealing the deck. We borrowed a pressure cleaner and had at it. I must say, for something called a 'cleaner' it sure made a mess. While the deck boards look amazingly clean, the paint chips all over them are pretty messy. I am excited to see the changes, hopefully the improvements! Pictures later. But for the rest of you-enjoy the long weekend!

This Body of Death

We got some first hand experience with the stench of death this week. Rotting corpses are not pleasant- to view or to have their wretched smell fill up your living room either. Oh goodness it was awful. We had not just 1 poor squirrel starve to death in our fireplace chimney, but four of them. So if you can imagine the smell that we had on Saturday when at least one of them was at its ripest, you will understand that by today, Thursday, my stomach gets a bit queasy at just the thought of it. Not only that, but we had some good friends that we haven't seen in awhile stop by for a visit on Saturday afternoon. They were kind enough not to say word about the wretched smell. I sat there wondering what in the world they must be thinking- it truly was awful.
Last night Ron got down on his back in the fireplace, with a shop vac and his hands and pulled out body parts for the better part of three hours. He had a pile in the corner of the largest pieces, some of them filled with maggots. (no wonder I had flies coming out of the woodwork). Every few minutes he would have to stop because the vac hose was plugged and I would take it outside and empty it out-bones, a piece of tail, soot... Then finally, at 10 pm he shut that vaccuum off, went to the top of the chimney, put a piece of plywood and cement block on top and came in to clean off the stench.
Phew, that is the end of that I hope. Though while we were sitting in that room, a candle burning to get rid of the last of the smell, we heard animal noises coming from the chimney......

Weekend fun

Seriously, does this not look like the best weekend ever? And this is just one day! Man, we ate our way through the Tulip Festival, saw the afternoon parade and street fest. Isaiah counted 10 bands and did not touch the water! Phin, however fell in. That was a sorry moment! And as I downloaded my pictures I realized I did not get one single shot of Sarah. What in the world? I cuddled her, rocked her and just adored her. (I adore the other 4 too, just not like you do a girl) Simeon ate ice cream, everyone had brats and a very healthy salad...these are all just random jots from our Tulip Festival weekend.