Jam Packed Saturday

 We all got a late start this morning after being up so late last night. It was nice to sleep in. Once everyone finally got up, Frank & I made breakfast for everyone. I had gotten some croissants at Costco yesterday when I picked up the cake, so we cooked up some scrambled eggs & bacon. Then people could make a fancy breakfast sandwich if they wanted. Grannymom was showing Sariah a blanket that her Dad had crocheted when he was little. She even gave Autumn the Christmas blanket Autumn's holding! Autumn thought she had died & gone to heaven and felt so honored.

After breakfast, Grannymom took us outside and told us she had a surprise for us. It was baby kittens that were born on Thursday! We all squealed in delight and took turns holding them. They're so small that they fit in the palm of your hands, and their eyes aren't even open yet. 

 Autumn was so stinkin' happy b/c she LOVES animals.

 Once everyone's tummies were full and we had loved on the kittens, it was time to get to work. We pitched in to help clean up the yard a little bit so Frank could mow. Then we started cleaning the old plants & weeds out of the garden.

 It was awesome to watch Frank & his Dad work together to get the rototiller started. The soil here is so rich & wonderful. I wish we had such great soil in Texas to grow things.

 We are sooooooooo "not in Kansas anymore, Toto!" Out here in the country you can do pretty much whatever you want. Spencer found a snake when he was moving some stuff, so he went in the house, got a gun, and shot it in the head!!! Dang, Gina!!!

 Since Spencer had a gun, Frank had to go and get his Glock and fire off a few rounds. He showed me how to hold it and shoot. It's so loud & has some kickback! I hope and pray I never have to use one for personal protection. But I also know it's important to know good gun safety & not be afraid of them.

 The younger kids headed down to the creek since we were done cleaning up, so Grampsy & Grant & Frank got busy grilling up the hamburgers & hot dogs for lunch.

 I helped Grannymom get all the stuff set up outside, and then I sat down to relax and love on one of the baby kittens until lunch was ready.

 The weather was a little cool for an outside picnic, but we just wore jackets and it was perfect. We had set up a few tables and folding chairs b/c Grannymom wanted us to all sit down and eat together. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, potato salad, corn on the cob, and beans. It was all super delicious and everyone was hungry from working hard this morning.

 After lunch, things got a little crazy. One of the boys got annoyed with another boy and picked up his used corn cob and threw it at him. That started an all out corn on the cob fight! I LOVE this picture I was able to capture, b/c you can see the corn cob on the left hand side of the pic flying through the air like a bullet! From what they said, those things HURT when they hit you! Autumn & I sat there in a little bit of shock but we were also laughing at how different things are with boys. We didn't quite know what to do b/c we're not around boys very often. They're definitely more physical & active.

 After we got lunch cleaned up, Grannymom wanted the kids to dye Easter eggs. They have chickens, so they had a plethora of brown eggs. Once the kids were done dying eggs, we went them down to the creek so Frank & I could hide them around the yard.

 Then Frank & I walked down to the creek so he could tell me stories & show me where he spent lots of his childhood days. I LOVED getting to learn even more about him.

 The kids had a BLAST climbing all over these fallen down trees. I love this silhouette shot! This is what kids need ... being outside, breathing fresh air, playing w/ sticks and rocks, exploring, and getting dirty!

 It is so picturesque & serene here. I loved just closing my eyes and feeling the sun on the face, the wind in my hair, and hearing the water trickle over the rocks. We set a little minnow trap and Frank said they'll come back tomorrow to check on it. I loved the random pops of pink color from the blossoms on the trees.

 We walked around for a while and then the kids found this cattle guard and decided they needed to try and walk across it. This can only end badly!

 It was so special to walk along, holding hands with Frank, and just talk. He's such an incredible man, and I'm so thankful that Autumn & I get to be a part of his life & his world. I know he feels the same about us, which makes all of this so incredible.

 As Frank & I predicted, the kids couldn't stay out of the water. Spencer got the most wet, b/c he tried running across the creek and he slipped and fell and got soaked! Frank & I rolled up our pants and carried the bb gun & shoes across to the other side. We tried staying on rocks but that wasn't going to work & was going to be dangerous if we slipped. So, I just stepped into the creek and walked across that way. My shoes & socks will dry.

 This picture doesn't do justice to the GORGEOUS blossoms on the trees behind us. We finally got all the kids to cross the creek and we started our trek back to the house.

 I had offered to help mow the grass earlier, but Frank said they didn't want to mow over the pretty purple flowers. I guess Grampsy didn't get the memo b/c he was out mowing the front yard when we got back. I love this pic of him on the mower w/ the American flag flapping in the breeze.

 When we got back to the house, Grannymom had all these Easter baskets ready to go for the kids' Easter egg hunt. There were prizes for the most eggs found, and there were 2 "golden" eggs that would earn you a gold coin if you found them. The kids had such a good time and were running all over like crazy!

 We were going to try and go to a movie, but the closest theater is 45 minutes away and we wouldn't have made the 7:00 showing. So, we had everyone get cleaned up and then we went into town. We stopped by Grant's work to say hi to him. Then we hurried to the grocery store to get some groceries before they closed at 8:00.

We came home & I helped Frank make a delicious taco salad. He does lettuce, mushrooms, radishes, kidney beans, olives, avocados, cheese, taco meat, and then crushed up Doritos. There was also sour cream if you wanted to add a dollop of that on top. It was over the top delicious! I also made a tres leches cake for dessert. After we ate, the kids watched part of a movie but everyone was so tired that we all called it a night around 9:30.