Sharing Our Fourth!

These two top pictures just would not load down at the bottom of the photos, so we'll start with the kids, big and small, enjoying a 4th of July Mule ride!

The Mule always gets a workout when there are kids on the hill. Here Machias is taking the gang for a trip down over the hill.

They stopped long enough for a picture. This is AFTER the trip, and they're still all smiling (and upright)!

We had a wonderful Fourth of July and sure hope that you all did too. The weather was hot and the company delightful. Ours was spent on top of Darling Hill with family and friends. A niece and nephew were home for a visit. Willow had her new husband, Jason. Dallas and his new fiancee were here too!

Jason and Willow, newlyweds

Dallas and Jessie, engaged

Friends showed up, carrying food, food and more food...

Mrs C

...and there were dogs, dogs and more dogs too! Some of the little ones had not met before and they seemed happy to greet each other.

The four little dogs; two family little ones are missing, this trip. Ruger and Merk couldn't fit in the picture.

There was even a puppy in this milk can! The story of the milk can: Brother, Kim, bought it at a yard sale, and WHAT a DEAL! He only paid 1.00! When he got it home he took the lid off to see how much cleaning it would require - - lo and behold, there was no bottom in it! The second picture here shows what we decided to do with it permanently.

Princess in the can

A perfect base for this apple tree!

Kim had intended to slip the milk can over a very small maple sapling. That would have been much simpler. What a TIME we all had (four of us) trying to get this prickly apple tree up through that can!

Beth and her Princess

Lucius and Ruger

One of the things Syd hoped we could accomplish is that the remainder of the family members could carve their names into Mom's soon-to-be counter top (for her kitchen island). It is a large slab of wood that all the family names will be scratched or carved into. Syd will then put a finish on it and mount it to the island. Mom will really love reading everyone's names while she does her puzzles!

Some of the carvers

Everyone sat around visiting, eating, visiting some more and eating some more too. 

Bobbi Jo and Gram

Brother, Dennis' son, Justin and his little little Riley

The children went sledding. They don't get up much in the Winter, so we do Summer sliding here. The grass is very slippery!

Tristan getting ready to head down the hill backwards

I was going for Beth and Tristan's wipeout...but then noticed that Lucius was doing a nose-dive too!

Well, that was the bulk of our day. We finished up with a nice time at Prayer Meeting then off to bed! We all slept like dogs (yes, they did too)! I'm glad you stopped by the Hill to share in the pictures. We are so thankful to live in a country that is FREE, both  because God has blessed us with freedom and because of our veterans who have fought for these freedoms. We truly missed our nephew, Dustin (and we missed Bethany), who is in Afghanistan serving God and his country at this time.