Retreat

This last year has been a blink. I feel like the tough months were spread out really well. When I would start to think, "I just want Kelly to come home." he would come home. We are looking forward to another nice year.

Heise

 The Daylilies are blooming.

Riding and Jumping

Riding days are fun days. It is an all around good day. Listen to an audio book on the drive, visit Grandma's house, ride a horse, jump on the tramp, nap on the way home.
Clara is getting better and steering and her hair is the same color as Buttermilk's.
John rides much longer then he used to. It used to be 5 minutes then get off. Now it is a good 30.

Sink

We had a little problem with our bathroom (that is all that needs to be said), so Margaret had a bath in the sink. She grabbed a lemon and had a great time.

But Now I am Six

When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

 -A.A. Milne


Aunt Rhonda gave Clara the new purple flower dress. Clara couldn't wait to put on her new "birthday dress."
While Kelly was working we took an outing to the MK Nature Center by Danielle's suggestion. So great!!
After the Nature Center we met up with Angie at Julia Davis part. We ate lunch and caught up.
At the end of the day, before Clara opened the gifts we gave her we talked about all her birthdays and where she celebrated them. We all enjoyed remembering where we were each year and why.
We love Clara and love how she is growing up!

Looking

 

Kelly's garden is so fun. I love the monocotyledons (corn) and the dicotyledon (beans). This photos is the butternut squash. We are sad that he is not here to had the fun of watching it grow at the pivotal first stages.  

 

"Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but not so interesting as looking."

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe



McIImoils

All through the year Clara and Taryn have mailed letters back and forth to each other. John thought it was so cool now he writes to Derek too. Taryn and Derek are rock stars in our family!
Last year we went to Liberty Park and we were excited to do it again.
We went to Tracy Aviary. Booo... After I chocked at the price of getting in they broke the news that a dollar for every ticket I bought went to some "save the birds" charity.  I felt forced and tricked. I like choices! I would have said "No, not today." very politely but now I am complaining on my blog!
After the aviary we did the carnival rides. Tara and I were pleased to find out that because Fox News was doing a story on the park the rides were free! The children rode all the rides and the girls went on the swings three times. We were even on the news!
We ate and I saw my friend Andrea that I hadn't seen in 11 years. Then the children played in the 7 creeks fountain. It was a fun day. We love the McIlmoils so much! Let's make it an annual thing!

Emily Dickenson

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.       

I had to get the snake photo off the top of my blog!

Blow Snake

 I know these photos aren't art but it was a memorable experience to see it craw under our cement porch. After Kelly killed it, and we figured out what it was we regretted it. We thought that it could have been a rattle snake and we didn't want take the chance of having a poisonous snake in our back yard. 
We let Clara and John touch it after it was dead. Clara got quite bold and John touched it once then was done. It was amazing to see it still slither even after it's head was chopped off.

Our Radish

Our first bit of produce this year. It really was a team effort harvesting this little root. Three fingers pushed under it to lift it up together. It was a really cooperative. One of those "pleased mom moments."

 Every time I go outside I sing two songs.  1st one is "the prophet said to plant a garden so that's what we'll do!" I remember Carl's Julie ringing it out once. It was beautiful and memorable. The 2nd one is the Janis Cap Perry song she wrote about Spencer W Kimble, "Plant a garden, keep a journal, put food in your store, study scriptures, pray that nations will open the door, be a faithful missionary though all of your life, keep a yard up learn a langue and lengthen your stride!"