Busy Summer Days & Some Yucky Stuff Too!

It all started with a phone call.

"Hey Brant, you busy?"

(Some might call that a loaded question.)

"Uh, why?"

(Some might call that an elusive answer.)

"Hay's ready."

(Some might say, "That's what you get for answering the phone.")

And so it begins.

The reality of summer.

Haying season. When everything else is put on hold for those few days of mowing, raking, baling and bucking.

Since I was driving the truck, this is the only picture I managed to shoot. What you can't see is the 200 bales stacked and salted behind the family.

There are about 50 more bales in the field, still needing to be picked up.

But we have other pressing matters to attend to.

Our pregnant goat, Faith, who has been renamed Gertie Faith, needs new digs. She is currently inhabiting Molly's dog kennel.

Which leaves our 1 year old chocolate lab pup to wander the house freely when we're not home.

This project has been marked URGENT.

I am no longer able to feign ignorance on power tools. My Mister decided to initiate me to the chop saw.

I like the chop saw.


Then we were interrupted with yet another crisis.

Black mold.

Sunday morning, we did a walk-thru of our downstairs bedroom and bathroom, making final plans for that part of the remodel.

We found dripping organic matter.

In a closet.

Before church.


Problem is this: we have 5 bathrooms. All of them were plumbed the same way.

Which was wrong.

The good news: We are removing 1 of the bathrooms to expand the kitchen, so we only have 4 to repair.

Only.

But it's not all work and no play.

Madison came to visit for the week and we are enjoying some much-needed grandbaby time.

She reminds us to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, like reading...


...and making playdough pancakes.


She reminds us that there is joy in small things like blowing bubbles with Uncle Matty...

...and decorating Nana & Poppa's front porch with sidewalk chalk.

Grandbabies remind us that life is short, the show must go on, and to put our troubles in a bubble and let them float away.

And in January and March, we'll have 2 more precious grandbabies to remind us to do just that.

Congratulations to my daughters, Tia and Kelsie!!!

Black mold and all, we feel very blessed.