Frees in Trees

Tonight the boys and I head out to watch a tiny part of a softball tournament Scott plays in. Proceeds go to the CSC. His game begins at eight. Tomorrow it should last all day, so we will, I hope see more then.

Wow, everyone. Another busy weekend, yet it seemed sane and blessed. Last Saturday morning Scott helped some friends move into a new house in Rio Rancho. It's a great place for their hospitable family. We're thrilled for them! That afternoon, Scott worked on our garage, getting it ready for a new door.

Sunday morning went smoothly, despite my attitude. The boys did amazingly well, as usual, during the service except for Toby falling and hitting his head on the pew in front of us. He recovered quickly and was happy as a lark, even with the dent on his hairline. Poor thing. I don't enjoy when those accidents happen due to their smallness and lack of agility.

We then joined Brendan for lunch and Scott went up with him to Rio Rancho to help pack all the Johnson's belongings into a truck. They sold their home and are working on signing papers for another. LOTS of progress going on around us! I picked Scott up in the evening. The boys were surely in the way, tromping up and down the semi's ramp, but they had a blast being there and returned home in the best way: dirty.

Monday, amazing friend Peter came and helped Scott most of the day to finish up the door leading into the garage. While they did that, and watched the boys, I went to the Johnson's and worked a little more out there with them to clean for the new buyers. While gone, the guys did a lot of work and the door functions great!


After they wrapped that up, we headed out for friend Ethan's #3 birthday party. It was a blast: sugar, kids everywhere, lots of fun people. Ethan's dad designed and made this very creative cake.


Toby and his friend Jordy played in this bin of water most of the time. They really do get along great. Jordy and his brother are greatly enjoyed by our boys. All fun kids.


Ranne's friend Liam is shooting someone. HE is amazing. Very agile and strong and EXCITING.


Peter and a friend: Courtney (Shelton) Foust


Toby posing just for you.

Scott and I had a date planned for probably three weeks. It was canceled three hours before we were supposed to leave for a baseball game, which was a huge bummer. Ranne, in fact, cried when his dear lady friend was not coming over to play.
We had a very pleasant evening at the park with our boys anyway. Ranne pulled the wagon less than usual, but both seemed to enjoy the outing. We met some very nice Mennonite/Amish? people and their three little ones who were a BLAST.


Wednesday Scott and Garrett planned on going to an apple farm. The owners are generously allowing them to use it for an "Inspirational Retreat" for the Student Center. They were going to 'scope it out' to see the lay of the land and decide how to schedule the events. Well, the grandson-in-law of the owners was going to take them. His wife (the granddaughter), who has her name willed on some of the property, decided she'd take their boys and invited Ranne, Toby, Garrett's family, her sister and me to come as well, offering to make a big pot of green chili stew and chicken nuggets for everyone's lunch. It's not what the guys planned, but it was fun for all of us. The sights that were most fun: the supposed second-largest cottonwood anywhere; a copse of cottonwoods with a rope swing, a water supply piped in, and an electrical box; a spring; a dam; the apple trees, of course; and a big stone overhang where they plan to put the fire the night everyone arrives.

Here are some of the orchards.


Can you see the people at the very base of the tree in the top picture?

I'm not easily frightened, but could not watch Scott climb this high, or climb down. The bark flaked off with every effort to find a handhold. He was in tree heaven. The ladies mostly stood waiting on the guys as they had their fun.