Off-line for a bit.

Well, tomorrow starts the biggest heavy equipment auction in the world (at least it was a couple years ago the last time I asked about it!) It lasts for an entire week. Hubby will be down there in K/P area for the week, wheelin' & dealin' with the big whigs that come looking for good water trucks. He's taking my internet connection with him, can you believe it?!? So.....I have no way to check emails or blogs or anything like that. I'm having withdrawls already. So, if you need me, feel free to call. Hopefully, he'll remember to bring my internet back home with him every evening so I can check on stuff a little bit when the kids are in bed. At least I was able to get two blogs posted just now before he took it away! I'm trying so hard to catch up.

Laying Down Irrigation & Picking Blossoms

We've got to get the field ready for the baby blueberry bushes. So, the irrigation must go in! We're working on it almost every day after C gets home from work, until it's finished. We're also picking blossoms nearly every day because that's how fast they grow! Not to mention the weeds... Here, B is doing her part picking them with me. She is SO good at it too. She will pick blossoms for a couple hours with me before she politely asks for a "little break". She likes to put them all in her bucket so she can see how many she's picked. She must be visual like me.

While B and I pick blossoms, the guys dig irrigation trenches. H moves the tractor for C when he's ready for the move. C keeps busy with the shovel, hacking through tree roots. (See the string that runs along the trench? It's to keep the trench going relatively straight because it's so long.) I didn't get pictures of us laying pipe and electric cord in the trench then covering it over. The electric is required because we have an automatic irrigation timer, and also an electric well to pump the water from the ground. B and I were able to help with setting pipe and lines in the trenches.

I am so thankful we have these family projects to work on together. It keeps us involved with each other. C also believes in the value of a strong work ethic. He's been known to say that, "the family that works together stays together." We're also hoping that by keeping our kids busy, they won't have time to get into trouble as they enter their teenage years. I think it also gives them a sense of value as they see how much they can contribute to the family, and to society in general.

Monster Jam

We went to the Monster Truck Monster Jam a couple weeks ago with our business partner and a few business associates. (We had purchased our tickets a year ago, so it was like a surprise to be going!) I went with C once before we had kids, and he's taken the boys again several times since they were 2 yrs. old. This year, B and I went with the guys. It was great fun, and here are some of the highlights of the evening. We had great seats right in front of all the action.

This race (above pic.) was a kind we have never seen before but it was hilarious. The white cars don't have a motor, so they have 2 pusher cars each. The pusher cars push the cars around the track and have to also try and get other teams messed up in their travel around the track. We laughed so hard watching this! I can't remember what they called it, but it was some kind of "Demolition".

This truck crashed into a motorhome. He smashed it to bits! He ended up rolling over on his side and they had to turn him over with a big rig loader.

Then Grave Digger smashed it up some more. He blew out a tire in the process and kept right on driving on only 3 wheels!

Our New Pets

A homeschool family in our group needed to find a home for these 2 corn snakes, and so we took them up on the offer. The kids couldn't be more thrilled to be giving these guys a place to live. For the first several days, I had to lock the snakes up so that they could get some rest! These snakes eat live mice. We fed them already and it went off without a hitch.

Family Business

My husband is a welder by trade and started learning at an early age. He started welding at the age of 5 for his dad around his dad's family business. Our sons are following suit. H eagerly picked up the welding torch at 5 yrs. old and with his Dad's help struck an arc. At the time he made quite a lot of "chicken scratch" on scrap steel, but that's what it takes to get a feel for the welder and the protective gear.

My husband tacked this mulch bucket together to hold it in place, but H welded the rest of it up entirely. It took him much of the day to finish, but he kept plugging away at it. C said he did a pretty good job of it, too. Our younger son is not quite as anxious to learn the trade. When he was 5, he said he would start learning at 6 yrs. old. When he turned 6, he said he would try at 7. He's 8 now, and he's tried it out a bit, but he prefers to let his older brother handle the torch while he watches over his shoulder through the welding hood to see how it's done.

This Struck My Funny Bone

I think I've said it before, but I never know what I'll run across around here. I walked into my husband's and my bedroom the other evening and this is what I found on our bed. It's a mechanical duck! A duck decoy. C is into duck hunting. It just struck me funny and I snapped a quick picture of it.

Trip to a Pioneer Village Museum

Our first trip to this old-time museum was a good one! Our homeschool group went there last year but we weren't able to go that day because the foundation for our new house was being poured that day and we couldn't miss that! There were several different stations, each with a different topic. The ones I can remember now were: candle-making, weaving, carding of wool to get yarn, farm animals, general store, old homestead house, and the boys' favorite: the blacksmith shop. The trades people in these pictures are all volunteers. They were all excellent teachers, and really knew their stuff! We learned a lot from them.

This is an old-fashioned birthing chair. I'll gladly choose the bath tub any day!

This gentleman is in his middle 80's and has been blacksmithing for 69 yrs. He was quite engaging, and seemed to be able to do his trade with his eyes shut!

Here, H is examining a rag rug made of plastic Wal-Mart shopping bags.