Send-off

We gathered this weekend to wish my oldest brother and his small family safe travels and success with their new life and venture. The days were full of childhood repeats this time even better because the work was just for fun, my youngest siblings make eveything ten times better AND we didn't have to dig any thistles. The youngest siblings (they prefer to be called Uncle and Aunt at this point) are well on their way to becoming champion thistle exterminators. I don't know many other five and seven-year-olds that can so quickly identify thistle varities and specify the method of destruction. Plus they're already making $0.25 an hour.

Thistles aside, we did all sorts of fun: slept on the trampoline, picked veggies from the garden, fed watermelon rinds to the horses, baby-talked to the baby, woke up before the sun every morning and visited with aunts, uncles, cousins and old friends


Jumped off the bridge


Fed the chickens in our pjamas


Dined on the back porch


Irrigated and swatted mosquitoes


Arranged flowers for the party


Drove the 4-wheeler around, I mean, helped Dad with the flood irrigation



Made a few cookies



Drank all Dad's coffee. We drove away with not a single bean left in the house and him pulling some Folgers instant brew from the back shelf.