The Last Few Days

Some of the boys received "new" bicycles, so we took a family tour of the local nature trail. Snacks were included, and a good time was had by all. Then it began to rain... Christmas was a whole bunch of fun.

The older boys went Coot hunting with Poppins. They bagged their limit, cleaned them, cooked some, and froze the rest.

The Girl enjoyed holding another little visitor. Aren't they both adorable?

We were invited for a meal with a family who owns a strawberry/peaches farm and a bakery. The father gave instruction to Stennes (and cousin Levi) concerning soil, composting, etc. to help them on their upcoming project competition.

Now for a lesson on pruning...

And to put it into practice...

We again visited a well-loved family, and The Girl and Branch helped groom the horse.

We also visited a park. A bit cool outside, but enjoyable...

Can you see the dock in the background? The big boys went fishing while the little ones played, but the tide was out, so they came on back for snacks. Chocolate bars are almost as much fun as fishing, ya know...

ChubChub rounded up a wild (concrete) giant turtle. It was a struggle against nature, but he managed to subdue the beast.

We also visited a marine lab for a fun hands-on experience. The Girl isn't quite sure what's going to be in this big tank... Anders the Brave is taking the plunge...

And now The Girl is definitely going out of her comort zone...

Poppins is on vacation this week. We've had good times so far. Today the four older boys are out participating in the national Christmas Bird Count; ChubChub and The Girl are playing a game in the other room; Mean Ol' Mama is about to enjoy her restaurant leftovers from our double-date last evening with Dr. Peter and his wife; we were able to hand out small bags of food in two really poor trailer parks on Sunday; the weather is a bit warmer; God is good.