Mr. Fix-It doesn’t get off work very often. It’s the nature of working for a family-owned small business. The benefits are not the same as what I take for granted. He doesn’t have much paid leave, and what he does have, he tries to save for holidays or traveling to see family. So when I decided to take the first couple days of summer break off with the kiddos earlier this week, I was tickled that he up and decided to schedule a day off to spend with us. And it just so happened that getting Monday off was his BIRTHDAY!

So I told him he had to start out the day by staying in bed no matter what he heard. {smile}

The kiddos had a card-making party at the dining room table at 6:30 in the morning while I made his favorite breakfast.

{Side note…It’s so fun to know that what you’re putting on the plate is all your OWN food! Homemade or home grown, or both. Or home-grown from a neighbor. I’m not much of a cook, but I love looking at a plate and knowing I DID THAT. Except for the smoothie, in this case. {smile}}

He preferred not to eat in bed, so we had presents in bed before breakfast instead. New tee-shirts, socks, and ammo for target practice down at the shooting range later.

They let Coal sneak in too. He looked so guilty when I came through the door–he does that ears half down thing when the rest of the family told him something but he’s not really sure if it’s ok with ME or not. It’s like he’s saying “We’re good, right? Right? No? Maybe?”

Then we loaded up to run some errands for the garden and farm and do a little exploring. We enjoy taking a “Sunday drive” any time. Looking at farms, old barns, talking to the kiddos about architecture, seeing livestock (and how people installed their fencing!), you just never know what you’ll see or find…

We stopped for lunch at a little mom and pop place on the way and then walked along the waterfront. The water was mucky and it was hot and humid, but the crew enjoyed seeing the turtles and minnows and something that they thought were “mosquito larvae.” I can not confirm or deny. It’s been a while since I studied up on my mucky pond science.

The Ladybug was very disappointed to see lilly-pads without giant bullfrogs. It reminded me how important it is to both read to our kiddos AND get them out and about to see real life. Plus I got to get some pictures of them with their Dad, which we don’t get very often. I know one day they’ll treasure them, even if they are grainy and blurred from a camera phone. It’s the moments that count.

Then we came home and took a break from the chores for a while before grilling hamburgers for dinner. Perhaps not his favorite meal (although it is one of them!) but one thing we’ve both learned as parents is that any meal that the munchkins all enjoy can quickly become OUR favorite, just from the lack of whining! {smile} Our “favorite” meal is a peaceful meal!

This weekend we’ll be busy shoring up some farm chores because next week is VBS at church and we’ll be out every evening. We’ve got to scrub feeders and water-ers and round up all the chickens again so that I don’t have to do it every night when we come home. Remember our western theme last year? The theme this year is BOOT CAMP and Mr. Fix-It and I will be teaching 5-6th grade boys again. We’ll be decorating over the next couple days, so be sure to follow us on Facebook to see the fun as it develops!

(And if you’re local, you can go over to VBS at Calvary Baptist to get details about the program. We also run buses, so call or email if you’d like to know more!)

What will you be up to this weekend?

I’ll have farm updates next week–we’re just trying to get into a smooth summer routine now that school is officially over. In the mean time, feel free to sign up for our newsletter. I know my posting has been sporadic lately, so if you sign up, you’ll get a weekly update on our posts–you won’t miss anything without having to hop over every day. AND, if we don’t post anything, you don’t get anything! No spam! Ever! (We hate it as much as you do!) Subscribe to our newsletter!