7 Things

There is so much going on around here!

1. First and foremost, I have to tell you that I'm going to have a little niece in the fall! Yep, that's right, my brother and his wife are going to have a baby girl! I LOVE being an Aunt! Here are my niece's first glamour shots!

The coolest part is that she is due on my mother's birthday. Her arrival will be something I'll be anxiously awaiting. I'm certain that she will bring so much joy to our family! I can't wait to spoil her rotten!

Precious little hand!

2. The wildfire that has been burning on our mountain has grown to become the largest wildfire in Arizona's history.  It is now over 532,000 acres, and is just over 60% contained.  It has forever changed the landscape of our mountain, and the first round of pictures coming forward in the aftermath have been devastating to us all.  Many of the spots that we used to love look like moonscape with little match sticks now, but there are still green patches left in some areas of forest.  35 Homes have been lost, including the home of one of my best friend's parents. When the rains start in July, the fire will die out, and then we will be challenged with flooding and soil erosion because of lack of vegetation.  The road to recovery will be a long one, that's for sure.

 

3. Regular Little League season has finally come to an end for our three ball players, and this week my boy was selected to play on the All-star team.  This is great for him but hard on us because he has practice every night of the week. Baseball never seems to end at our house. :) 

4. We've been heat- synchronizing our heifers this week, and will artificially inseminate them on Saturday morning.  Initially, the scheduling of this seemed great, but somewhere along the way too many other things got penciled in for the week. Now we're running around non-stop and the engine in my truck never gets cold. My husband has been working and running cattle through the chute while I take the kids to vacation bible school in the morning, orthodontic appointments in the afternoon, and baseball practice and irrigation in the evening. When it rains it pours with activities, I guess.

5. My son caught an un- identified baby snake yesterday in our back-yard.  We have a giant snake that lives under the chicken coop, and I think it had little snake babies.  Someone needs to stop this kid from capturing everything he finds.  It's a habit  he refuses to grow out of, and I don't know how much more I can take of this!

6. It's so hot outside that my old dog has taken up permanent residence in front of the box fan in our kitchen. I guess he knows a good spot when he sees one.

7. Did I mention that I'm going to be an Aunt?? OK, OK, I'm just so excited about it.  This has been on my prayer list for YEARS...and there is finally going to be a little, tiny, pink bundled answer to my prayers.

Yipppeeeee!

Aunt Nell