Hello everyone!
Here’s a few random tidbits from our days:
Mom recently found a recipe for “doggy popsicles”. What a great idea! I made one for my dog, Greta, as soon as I could. It was so simple to make, and Greta l-o-v-e-d it. If you have a dog (even an unspoiled one, like mine :), try making these fun summer treats.

Here’s what you do: fill some water in a small/medium-sized container and add a bit of chicken or beef broth (1/2 cup or so). Add a handful of dog kibbles, small bones, or a few toys. Freeze. When it’s solid, run the container under some warm water and it will pop right out!

Greta couldn’t get enough of it! :)

It’s peach season! We recently got a bunch of peaches from a local orchard to freeze. We got a few just for eating (pictured below) and a bunch of seconds for freezing. Yum!

I made a healthy peach cobbler yesterday. It turned out pretty well, but I’ve decided that I like crisps better than cobblers. (Crisps have a crunchier topping with oats, and cobblers have a biscuit-like topping). But they’re both tasty! Which kind do you like better?

This morning the boys and I did some beading. I had a lot of beads from several years ago, so I thought we could do something with them. You can make so much from string and beads. Jewelry, decorations, and bookmarks, to name a few.

The boys chose masculine colors. :)

I discovered an easy way to make a pretty bracelet. (Not being gifted in the area of bracelet-tying, this was a relief to me :). Simply braid three strands of yarn or string together, incorporating a bead every few braids. Slip a bead onto one of the strands and continue braiding. Easy peasy, and it looks great! :)

Well, that’s all for today. Thanks so much for dropping by, and have a lovely afternoon!
~Brookie

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great 4th of July!

Our family did. We had some families from our church over, and it was a blast! It also very hot day, which called for (literally!) hundreds of water balloons. We played water balloon wars, balloon tosses, Ultimate Frisbee, and volleyball. I didn’t get any pictures, but Mom did. Here’s a few of them. Thank you, Mom! :)

Water balloon wars with three opposing teams.

The younger children played with the water hose and sprinkler! :)

 Keenan and Alicia

Last but not least, we had our favorite game of all…..the pie eating contest! It was SO funny to watch. There are four age divisions, and we made little pies with graham cracker crusts, pudding, and whipped cream on top!

The youngest kids went first.

So cute!

This guy won! :)

Then there were the older kids, young adults, and adults. Yes, the dads did it, too! :)

It was a hoot! :)

Hope you all had a safe and happy Fourth of July!

I love, love, love going to my Grandparents’ farm! What neat times we’ve spent there with my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles! Going to the farm always brings back sweet memories from past years. And last weekend we made some new ones!

 

On Friday we loaded up the car and left to spend a few days with our grandparents. We had a great time, as always, although it flew by way too quickly. I brought my camera this time, and I snapped quite a few pictures from around the farm.

Because Wesley wasn’t with us, we all fit in the Camry (aka, smaller car). Jonathan and I sat next to each other for most of the drive. You’ve probably guessed my habit of taking backseat photos by now! :)

We arrived that evening, and enjoyed Grandmother’s wonderful cooking for dinner. It was so nice to catch up a bit with her and Grandad! The next morning dawned bright and beautiful. I enjoyed helping Grandmother make breakfast, and later on (armed with my camera, of course) I set out to explore the farm and snap some pictures.

The raspberries were just beginning to ripen.

I stopped by the chicken coop for a bit. Grandad just recently got some chickens, and I managed to get several pictures of them.

A few turned out to be quite funny, like these two chickens who appear to be whispering together! :)

 Of course, I visited my Grandad’s beautiful Shetland ponies! :)

That afternoon, when it was too hot to be outside, I showed Grandmother the quilt I’m working on – the one made from scraps of fabric that she used when she made her own clothes. She told me about each scrap of fabric on the quilt, and what article of clothing it was used for.

The boys and I also played pool. They are both pretty good, and playing together was a fair match! :) I liked how these photos turned out.

Later that afternoon, Mom and I went shopping together. We had a blast!! We found all sorts of cute stores in the square. We shopped in a thrift store and founds some cute tops. :)

These roses are just lovely. They’re from my Grandmother’s beautiful flower garden:

I am so grateful that we could go and visit our grandparents. Family is such a blessing, isn’t it!?!