State Champions!

 These 6 have been playing together for FIVE YEARS!

OH! What a feeling!!

Kittens, cats, mouse hunting... oh and baseball

This fostering kitties thing is doing more for me than it is for the kittens.

I learn a lot about Hazel's love for animals. I learn that our children want to help. I have snuggled these babies. On days when I rarely sit, 15 minutes seated in a comfy chair with a kitten or two on my lap feels heavenly.

This kitten is 7 weeks old and it chased down, caught and killed a MOUSE! 

What a mouser! Already!

I apologize for these somewhat graphic pictures.

Sweet arms

sweet voice

the girl who often feeds them

SAFETY

 Oh and there is that sweet Oren Paul. Eating a chocolate.

These kittens are just so sweet!
Crazy cat lady.
If I ever have more than 8 cats at one time call Animal Control --or my husband.
It could be an addiction, like thrifting, buying yarn and raising chickens.

Switching gears, Merit's first game of state is tonight at 8! We are excited!!
I know I should be posting baseball related pictures... I will soon, like tomorrow morning maybe!

Today was busy and good. Willem, Hazel and I picked blueberries this morning. 9 1/2 pounds and they are delicious! Lots of blueberry snacking today!! Hopefully I will find time to make muffins or scones tomorrow. Willem went to the allergist today for testing and oh. my. lands. that kid is allergic to a lot!! More on that later.
And Merit needs to be in Ephrata soon for a little BP before the game! I love baseball!

Life Along Crab Creek

 I have sunflowers picked and in fun jars throughout the house.

 Our sunsets have been gorgeous and I am thankful, so thankful for country living.

We have a little camp set up down at the creek. We take turns kayaking, the big boys and I floated the creek Saturday, we set crawdad pots and sometimes I even get to read my book down here! My current read is a Debbie Macomber.

lots of deer sightings lately!

They are beautiful.

Out in the yard...

 These two.
When they get along, I am smiling.

 The heat has been really hard on these chickens.
I feel like I am doing something wrong.
The Backyard Chicken has been a great resource for helping keep them hydrated, but I lost another one this week. After two days of Hazel and I keeping her cool, keeping a fan on her and helping her drink Gatorade she didn't make it.

State baseball this week (for Merit)! It is going to be great!

Summer livin'

 Summer livin' is good for the soul

 These two. This picture really made me giggle!
They can sure pull the wigs off!

Love ya B.

Our sunflowers are incredible this year.
And sunflowers at sunset, kinda dreamy.

July 2

I love, love this break from school!
Oren is so much happier with the older three around more!
Playing restaurant and Barbies is way more fun!
Yesterday, Oren, Hazel and I made many efforts to stay cool at a HOT Dirt Brothers game! We squirted each other with a spray bottle, drank gatorade and water and played in the drinking fountain! Merit's team and Merit's season has me puzzled. I see them getting better. I see Merit's hard work, many of the kids work hard. We won one tournament where we played smaller town competition. We were scheduled to play a game Wed. but our coach cancelled guessing the competition would not be tough enough for us. Well today we experienced a win 33, 4 and the coach apologized for not helping face our guys with tougher competition. It is fun to win. And we have lost plenty. If I ever think I have "the system" figured out, I have to think again. I do know that we play a lot of really tough teams and our coach believes this is very good for us.
What I love is watching these guys play. Merit and Willem's teams are so fun to watch! Merit had a catch that made me holler yesterday! The plan was to play a double header, but the team just played one and we hit the water park for a quick swim.
Willem is in a tourney in Kent, WA! Will has two more games today. Matt and Brenda are there with Vance cheering the team on! Later today they head here!
Today is gorgeous! A BBQ here and chilling in the yard sounds great.

I am so behind on house work but hanging with these kids is a ball. And I am enjoying the kittens, the chickens, baseball, bike rides, gardening...

Vance, pretty excited about the CARS he ordered after seeing the movie CARS 3!