Wrapping Up May and Memorial Day

This was taken as we were leaving to go drop them off for their LAST day of school! It was actually 3 days before the real last day of school, but they missed that last week because we had cousins here. (more on that later). They had a great time and it was a good growing and learning experience for all of us. 

 We've been doing lots of yard work lately, too. This is one morning (the older 2 were still at school) and these 3 were helping me trim the bushes. I gave Kelsey a big pair of scissors and she was snipping off all the ends of the overgrown palm tree leaves. Briggs could hardly even lift the pruning shears but he sure was working hard and trying to contribute by sticking them in the bushes and then pulling them out again. :) We were having a great time up until Briggs tripped and sliced his thumb on one of the sharp shears. It was no fun, and ended our morning of yard work. But they did all get a popsicle in the end. All's well that ends well, right?

One night Kenny was taking his newly fixed road bike for a little spin around the neighborhood and nearly ran over a snake. Only this time it was a venomous cottonmouth. He came home to tell me and get a gardening hoe, then went back out in the street after it. He broke it's neck and carefully brought it home. He put it in a container with alcohol overnight so that it was good and dead the next morning. He was anxious to show the kids and teach them what to watch out for. How to recognize the patterns and discern between a snake that will actually cause you great harm, or not. Then we got rid of the body by throwing it in the big ditch next to our house. 

On Memorial Day we had quite a party! We had my parents, the Juergens, the Allsops and the Webb kids over. We had a fun time visiting, swimming, and eating. There was a small issue when I somehow managed to set the whole BBQ on fire and scorched all the meat pretty good. But Kenny came in and saved the day, as usual. It was pretty scary, I've never had that happen before. I sort of panicked and had thoughts of the whole grill exploding and then catching our house on fire (I'm not dramatic, or anything). That would have definitely ended the party. But thankfully none of that happened. :) It was such a fun day and we were so grateful everyone drove a million miles out to be with us. 

Watching our neighbor's helicopter land and then take off again.