A little haircut (and a memorial post)

My sister knew that Danny the Shearer would be coming trough town in April and she was on the list to have him come by and give her little flock a haircut.  We were surprised to get a call one Tuesday morning that he had had a cancellation and was there at the barn ready for shearing.  Kindly, he waited for Leah and I to get there after BSF so that we could be a part of the event.  As soon as we could we flew out the door (bringing a couple of visitors with us) and headed over to witness this exciting event.  

Wickham was first. Not only she was the woolliest and therefore the hottest, but she is the easiest to wrangle. 



Now that Wickham is all naked she is feeling much more comfy. 



Naked sheep crack me up



Re-establishing trust...





3 down and 1 to go......

And then Danny would have to show Leslie how the Shepherd's crook really works...

There was alot of entertainment that day...

Look at all that fleece!  You have never felt something so soft!

While he was at it he clipped toenails...

And he had his little farmhand help to administer some vaccines and vitamins.

As you can see I was dressed for Bible teaching...
not for farming and shearing. 
But I always keep my barn shoes in the car. 

I just like this picture of my shepherd sister. 

The whole process was quite exciting for Leah...
for the first couple of hours. 

We think this one could dance for the Rockettes. 

Shearing day was a fun one!  Because Cormo sheep (Corriedale/Merino hybrid) are bred for their extra-super-duper wooliness, they will have to be sheared again in late summer so they can survive the crazy, unpredictable Texas weather. 

And on a very sad note... Sir Brandon the mooing sheep with the British accent and the freckle nose passed away in May. He died as a result of a blockage in his urinary tract. Apparently this is a common complication for male sheep, and tragically the symptoms are not obvious until its too late. My sister loves her little babies and, as she always does, she took excellent care of Brandon while he was ailing. She was able to be with him when "he counted his last sheep."  She is still extremely sad about this loss and we are sad for her too. But she knows the Good Shepherd and when she is sad she rests in His comforting arms, trusting in His perfect plan for her.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

LC quote of the day

"Hugs feel so good on me after I cry... and alot of times even before I cry!"


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A little spark

It only takes a spark... too-oo get a fire go-oo-ing...
(That's for my sister, who will now be singing this song from our childhood... All.day.long. :-)

Back at the end of deer season, Kevin and some of his buddies went for one last weekend of hunting. Kevin did not realize that, as he was riding out to the deer stand, a bit of brush had gotten caught underneath his 4 wheeler... and then a bit more brush got caught on that... and so forth... and somehow the little nest got so hot it ignited! Thankfully our friend John saw the smoke and flames and hollered to Kevin "Your leg is on fire!" Kevin hopped off and rescued his guns and gear first of course... then determined his leg was not on fire... but his ride was. 

Minutes later this is what he had...

Kevin was getting ready to sell this particular vehicle and buy something different for next season that was a bit more quiet.  :-/

The miraculous thing was that the SEVERE drought in this area had been doused by a few inches of snow just days before.  Had this event happened on any other weekend during deer season Kevin's 4-wheeler might have set the whole county on fire!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brusha brusha

I just love watching her grow up...
























She got a new spin brush that you decorate yourself. She wanted to put a microphone sticker on first... then anything with music notes and then anything pink. Of course after that we just put as many stickers on as we could fit. 




Lord, I thank you for the blessing of this child in our lives.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

ducks and a goose

Boy was this a long time ago... late February maybe? I upload these pictures and then I forget to post! 

The pond by our house is in front of Kroger... 

Leah likes to fish Kroger pond in the summer...

But in the winter she likes to do this... 

 We had 4 bread bags full of old bread ends and pieces we had saved and frozen for such a time as this.

She needs to work on her throw just a bit...

(PS - Right now my dad's blood pressure is up a little bit because he is worried she is standing too close to the water in this picture :)

The skeptical face... when the little goose looks at me like this I see Kevin all over.

God, we thank you for ducks. And ponds. And little girls. And Dads and Pops that care about us alot. 

Goin to the chapel

Back in March, a couple of our friends got married... and Leah was a flower girl in their beautiful wedding. John is one of Kevin's closest friends and the three of us grew up in the same town and church youth group.  Kendall, the beautiful bride, also grew up in our hometown... albeit a few years after us.  ;-) 

We went to a luncheon for Miss Kendall's bridesmaid's and then had to stop by the mall to run a quick errand and,  of course, play in the playgroud.  Leah asked me to take a picture of her in her darling little dress that she LOVED... and I am so glad I did! I just had to post these 2 pictures since they are the only ones that ever have been or ever will be taken of her in this dress.  The dress met its untimely end later that night when her daddy mistakenly threw it in the trash! Its a long, weird story... but the dress is gone and it will be missed.  :-( 

That night we went to the wedding rehearsal where Little John (the groom's nephew) taught Leah all about bugs while they weren't rehearsing. 



The flower girls danced on the chapel lawn...

And at the rehearsal dinner Leah ate more Chicken Alfredo than you could possibly imagine.  And Miss Kendall gave her some REALLY sparkly shoes to wear with her flower girl dress!

Then the BIG DAY was finally here...



Everyone thought the flower girls were twins... not even related!







Daddy was a groomsman...









 

In their program, Kendall and John wrote a little bit about each person in their wedding party...

There is a story to go along with that too... I really have alot of blog catching up to do. 

Leah did a fabulous job!!!  She did everything just as she was told and then got to the end of the aisle and waved to her daddy. Cuteness. 

She was ready to party...

Check out Little John -- the ring bearer and ceiling monitor -- Leah is on the left here. 

Leah is a Daddy's girl... no doubt about it.  (Yes those are band aids on her feet... new shoes)




John with the girls... Leah on the right



Kendall with the girls...

Leah and the beautiful bride... Leah can't wait to wear a beautiful white dress like Miss Kendall was wearing.  She wants to marry her daddy.  I said "You mean a boy just like your daddy?"  She said "No, I want to get married to my daddy."

After a couple of really big days, her first wedding party, A LOT of dancing and junk food and no naps.... and this was what we ended up with.



Now she is ready for her own wedding with her daddy.  Too bad he's taken!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

LC quote of the day

This morning after I asked if I could take all Leah's kisses for my birthday she said this:

"If you take all of my kisses, well I will just make some more. Watch! I will just put one packet of kisses and another packet of kisses and then I will just put them in my mouth!"


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

LC quote of the day

Leah: Mommy, what are we gonna have for lunch today?

Me: Turkey and cheese

Leah: No, that's not what I want to have.

Me: Well what do you want to have?

Leah: How about cookies and pancakes?

Me: No, that's not what I want to have.

Leah: How about muffins and donuts?

Me: Nope.

Leah: What about cake and sprinkles?

Me: Don't think so.

Leah: Turkey and cheese?

Me: Now that sounds good! Let's have that!

Leah: "Yuh-uh-uh-meeee!"

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

At least there were 3 rings

So it wasn't THE GREATEST show on earth... But the Shriners put on what Kevin and I would describe as "a fairly decent show on earth."

Leah's first circus was the Shrine circus at the Garland event center. This girl thought it was pretty cool.

If we get free (or really cheap) tickets to something... anything, really... we are there! :)

I was seriously impressed by this hand-standing elephant. He stood on his front legs for like 60 seconds!!!

Is there anything better than your very first taste of cotton candy?


Leah doesn't think so.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Look at her grow... 3 year old check up

On our way for a big 3 year old check up... Back in February

The best part of going to to see our doctor...

Giant building blocks in the waiting room...

Fast as fast can be!

"Look at me! I'm THREE!"

She's sweet... and petite!

10th %ile on the Height and Weight charts

10 I said!!! Not 100th percentile like her daddy and I always were growing up. 10th!!!!

27 lbs and 35 inches

Vision is great! She was happy to put a spoon on her eye and read the eye chart full of umbrellas, apples and houses. 20/40 vision is apparently normal at her age? Who knew? Her hearing checked out well too... though a bit selective. :)

She brought her stethoscope to the appointment to show everyone that she can take blood pressure too!

Dr. D said... She feels healthy...

She sounds healthy...

And she has GREAT balance!

She is 3 going on 30. I don't know what to do with her these days! But I am thinking that whatever went around certainly is coming back around... So my mother likes to remind me anyway. ;-)

I'd rather be near

Easter is my favorite holiday. I think its because I was once SO far away from God. And I remember how it felt. But now He has changed my whole life! I know God personally and talk to Him daily and hear from Him too... And I am only able because of what happened that very first Easter Sunday morning!

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ."(Ephesians 2:13 NIV)

Praise be to God!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tom and Kevin

My husband and his fine feathered friend... That we will be having for dinner tomorrow!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone