An Overnight Hike

While I was away helping my aunt pack up her kitchen for a remodel, M took the girls to Kentucky Falls for their first backpack camping trip. They hiked in about three miles and found a place to set up their tent.They each had their own backpack. The girls packs were pretty light, M carried the bulk of the items needed.

 Here is Upper Kentucky Falls.

Hiking along the trail.

Lower Kentucky Falls.

North Fork Smith River Falls.

I love this picture M took of North Fork Falls and Smith River.

K lazing in a tree reading her kindle. She looks just like M.

Their tent snugged in between the two falls. It is a two man tent but

they were all able to fit in it.They slept head to toe.

Roasting marshmallows. 

They also ate Mountain House meals and loved them.

North Fork and Lower Kentucky Falls.

The girls had a great time and only got a little tired when hiking in and out. At one point M had to carry L's backpack for her because it got too heavy. They were well behaved and M had a good time with them. I think this may be the beginning of many backpacking trips for our family.

What a Wonderful World Music Program

The third grade classes at K's school put on a music program this year entitled What a Wonderful World. Each of the kids got a chance to act, dance and/or sing in the program. We didn't do a great job of videotaping this year but here is the video of K's performance and a few of the pictures we took.

This is only a third of the 3rd graders who participated.

Holding hands while singing What a Wonderful World.

K dancing to her song.

Their final song was called Fireflies and they used finger

flashlights moving to the music to mimic fireflies at night.

Mother's Day Scrapbook Retreat Treat

For Mother's Day this year my hubby sent me to a scrapbook retreat in Blue River with my aunt while the kids went to Bahmah's house. Karen and I headed up on Thursday and got to stay until Sunday morning. I worked on L's baby book all weekend and got pretty far in it.

When I got home on Sunday, my girls were there with gifts and a banner for me. They gave me lots of hugs and kisses; it was nice to come home to. They had made gifts for me at school and presented them to me before I opened my basket of goodies. Some of them I plan on framing for my bedroom wall.

Even though I have no makeup on and look horrible in this picture, I 

had to add it. I love how L is hugging me and K is sitting on my lap.

Here's the banner they made for me.

My hubby even made me a tasty dinner. Grilled bacon wrapped chicken with pineapple, baked beans, green beans, and deviled eggs with a strawberry smoothie. I was very spoiled.

The Passing of Red

K has a horse at her Bahmah's house named Red whom she has had for five years or so. Every time she goes to visit she feeds, rides and cleans out the stall of her horse. She loves having a horse. Unfortunately her horse got sick in May; she developed Laminitis in her hooves. She kept getting worse and had to be put down.
I was driving back home with K from aunties house on May 4th when my cell phone got a text. I thought it was my husband so I had K read the text. It was from her Bahmah telling me they had to put Red down and to please let K know. K started crying uncontrollably and I had to pull the car over to see what was going on. My heart sank when I read the text. Such a hard thing to hear and completely unexpected for her.
The following weekend the girls went to Bahmah's house to have a funeral. K made a cake on Friday night and on Saturday their friends came over for the funeral.

M even made a metal grave marker for the event. The girls placed large rocks around her grave and put flowers next to the marker. They also wrote her name in small stones near by.

Later that evening they made a horse and duck out of buttons.

And L learned how to play solitaire.

K misses her horse and hopes to get a new one at some point, although I'm not sure her Bahmah is up for taking care of another horse. I hope at some point to have land of our own that we can have large animals on. Then maybe they both can have horses of their own.

Blanton Ridge & Spencer Butte

On May 3rd, M took L for a hike while I was at auntie's with K. They hiked up Blanton Ridge and Spencer Butte. While they were on their hike they saw some pretty sites and M took some great pictures of L as well. Here is the product of their hike.

She had to carry her own pack with snacks and water.

Robin eggs in a nest they found.

This is a picture taken from the top of Spencer Butte that M

tweeked the exposure on. It turned out pretty cool looking.

L on the top of Spencer Butte

She looks so grown up in these pictures.

Running in a grassy field.