Adventuring out West!!!

Tomorrow we will set off on an adventure, yet again!

Pops will arrive at the airport around lunchtime, we'll pick him up with a freshly packed case of clothing and we'll be on our way! Pops has two conferences to work in Southern California. So, the kids and I are tagging along on the very long drive to soak in the experience!

We will be in Anaheim for the first half of the week and will finish the week in San Diego. I suspect that on the day that he has "off" in the middle of the week we will make an attempt at seeing "The Mouse." Bump loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cartoon, so it might be a hit for even him! Tinkerbell is fresh on both girls' minds and Bud will love roller coastering and rolling his eyes at princesses. If we go, my question is: "NOW, can we never return??" I know - what a stick in the mud I am! I am just really not a fan of the craziness of Disney.

I am, however, looking forward to returning to the San Diego Zoo! I really thought that it was all that it was hyped up to be. I liked their layout, the bus system in the zoo, the overhead sky tram, the panda exhibit... yes, the list could go on and on! I am also looking forward to the beach. Oh, how I have missed the ocean. The sounds, the smells, the feel of the spray on your face, the sand between your toes pulling away in the tide... Yep - I'm ready!!

So - if this is where we are going... any suggestions??

• Legoland - what is it, what did you think of it?
• Museums - which ones are great for kids AND adults?
• Beaches - ones to hit/ones to stay clear of?
• Disney - what here must we do/see/try??
• other places????

Holy Long Hiatus, Batman!

Don't even know where to begin... Yes, you were very quiet like my last post requested for the birds... but they are long gone, and so are we!! Sometime around July 1st, we moved from the little acreage after selling the calves, finding homes for the ducks and chickens and (sadly) finding a new home for the little dog. We didn't find another rental or a house to purchase, so we moved ourselves back into our 5th Wheel Travel Trailer and all our earthly non-essential possessions into a storage facility about 1/2 mile from our RV park. I sort of thought it would last a month or so...

It was a very hot summer. We wished for a quick drive up into the mountains or out to the Pacific Coast!! Instead, we made some good friends, visited the Science Museum of OKC often, did some visiting with family in Nebraska, Illinois and Ohio, read lots of books and spent lots of time at the library, kids went to VBS and Totus Tuus at church, they took swimming lessons, the girls went to a week-long choral camp, we went to a couple of rodeos and otherwise just had a fun time together!

We have been continuing the fun this fall and have learned a lot (including a bit on stringed instruments), played much, visited The Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, a ski resort off-season in Avon, CO, Zion National Park in Utah, a variety of things in Las Vegas including attending the PBR Finals and a day trip to Death Valley National Park, a quick stop visiting some of our friends we met in Oregon that have moved to Arizona and finally the long haul home to "home sweet home, RV" through New Mexico - a new state for most of us - and the panhandle of Texas, where we made a quick stop in Groom, TX to see the ginormus cross on the interstate. We thought we would be done traveling for a while after that long jaunt!!

But, what d'ya know... we did a fair amount of traveling back and forth to Nebraska - soon to be home to our family again! Pops took a new position with the company he has been working with since 2007!! This new position will have a fair amount of traveling and he will need to be near an airport!! We are hunting for a great place to live and are ready to sell our RV, again!! It has been good, but it seems everyone is ready for a little space again. Hopefully, we can settle into a new home before the first of the year... it's good to have goals, right!?!

So, that is where we are... in transition, yet again!!!

There are many pictures to share (I suppose that happens after a 5 month hiatus...) so, I have some in a slide show here... you'd be scrolling forever to see these 54 I have chosen to share for now!!  Enjoy!

A Family Treehouse June 2012 -Oct 2012 - free slideshow maker with music

Wordless Wednesday: Do Not Disturb (the front porch)!

Child's Art for Sale!

A quick update: YIKES! We are house hunting in earnest... our landlord accepted an offer and has a contract to sell this house. So, we will be moving in early July or sooner. Such is the reason for my absence on the WWW... I will try to get on here to post some fun as I am able - for now, I can't commit to every day during the week - I'll see what I can do! Without much further ado - here's a bit of fun to share:

Yesterday was a beautiful day. In the morning, Blossom drew some pictures. After lunch she decided she wanted to have a lemonade stand. But, the old lemonade stand is Branch's and she really wanted to do her own thing. So, she dragged the little picnic table out in the yard across the driveway and "set up shop" and let everyone know she was open for business and would have a nice guard dog.

Pops said, "Say, wha?" Yea, gather up your money... Blossom has opened for business, you had better go find out what she is selling!

I snuck around the side of the house and took a few quick pictures before letting my presence be known! I thought she was so cute sitting out there with her big ol' pink piggy bank! I was wondering, though... how were her papers staying still in the Oklahoma breeze!?!

Well, all of the art was stored in a box behind her and she was bringing each piece out for a look. So, she started with showing her animal art.

The bottom one is a tree with a nest on a branch and a mama and papa bird who are caring for their 4 eggs. She was pretty thrilled to tell me about that one! There is a black bunny rabbit there and I am not sure what kind of bird the one under Pops' hand is. Oh, and I think that maybe there is the skirt of a fairy on the one under the bunny...

She continued to show all of the pieces - they are stashed in her box on the ground. She would announce what it was and then laid it on the table. (I love how Branch is grinning in this one! She is definitely remembering her first entrepreneurial tries with her lemonade stand!)

I helped Blossom a bit and told her it might work to her advantage to think about what her customer might like to have for art in their space. She thought Pops would like the barn or the horse best. Here she is re-presenting her horse...

She was telling a bit about what kind it was. Pops wanted to know if the horse was foundered.

She responded, "Well, right here is where I put on its shoes. Don't you see them?"

Pops decided to go with the horse and Branch put the rest of her art away. Pops was getting ready to pay for his choice...

 and Blossom pushed her piggy bank forward for him to fill 'er up.

He put in several coins and she watched like a hawk! Next customer, Branch! She wanted to see the fairies that Blossom had available.

Blossom laid out her three favorites and Branch pointed to this one and said, I want that one...

then pointed to another one and said she liked it, TOO! So, she made her purchase of two pieces of art.

Blossom was thrilled and put the coins right in her bank! I ended up purchasing the fairy still in her hand and another animal, after I went inside to get a "paper dollar" after she sighed when Branch walked away and she muttered, "I was really wanting some paper dollars for my beautiful art."

After my purchase, I put together a plate of cookies and sent them out for her next customers... Bud and Bump went out with a fist full of coins. Bud bought most of her art - all but two pieces. Bump bought one and she was left to sit at her table with one lone piece of art. She continued to send in messengers about the last one is about to go, don't miss out! I was really wondering how long she would sit outside without a buyer!! She probably sat there (with a plate of cookies) for 20-25 minutes before the UPS driver pulled up!

They worked a trade of sorts. Blossom was generous and gave her newest customer a complimentary piece of her prized (and signed) art since she was "new" and the UPS driver ooohed and aaahed appropriately. She promised she would take it home and proudly display it on her refrigerator. Then she went into her truck and brought out a little treat dog bone for the little guard dog! 

Blossom started today with making art. She plans to have another afternoon sale if you are available to stop by, I bet she'll be open! (Or she'll open just for you!) She hopes the UPS driver will be back today and will make a purchase! You go girl!!