Nature...but mostly a silly kitten...

A monarch butterfly on wild, OK yellow flower on our place.

The kids call this kitten "Tiger Face".  One of the seven kittens that were born at our place.

Darn it! That's a very realistic-looking plastic bird...and now I'm stuck!

4-wheeling cuties...

...don't tell them I said that:0).  JB got a new 4-wheeler, so his got handed down to Gloria, Gloria's got handed down to Benaiah and they all had a blast tearing around on their new wheels.  Evelyn's not quite ready although she does take rides on the 4-wheeler with Mommy sometimes.

Dove Hunting as a Family

Max and  I had been together in Altus, OK 3 or 4 times before for 3-4 months at a time for training in the KC-135.  The first time we were in Altus together when Max was learning to fly the tanker was before we had any kids so we went hunting as a couple.  Who says there's nothing to do in Altus, OK?  This dove hunt as a family was the first time we did that and it actually worked out well and was fun.  Evelyn sat in the Suburban on the other side of the road, close by, watching DVDs and was perfectly happy.  Max, JB, and I had shot guns to shoot at birds.  We eat the doves when we have about 20 or so after Max marinates them, wraps them in jalapeno halves and bacon, then grills them...very tasty!

At the Rodeo Back in August

How much better can it get than a tractor on either side of you...at least for a 4-year-old boy obsessed with tractors...and the color green...

Benaiah was checking the level of JB and Gloria's feet to make sure he wasn't standing any higher than they were.  Obeying his Daddy.

I can't decide if Benaiah looks really sleepy or like a macho cowboy.

I think this was our 4th or 5th time at this rodeo in Altus.  We always have a good time even though it's usually hot.  It gets more fun to take the kids as they get older. 

Happy 7th Birthday to Gloria...

Tea anyone?

Gloria using and sharing her new china tea set from China!  Gramma Shell got it for Gloria a while ago during the Beijing Olympics in 2008.  She was waiting for Gloria to be mature enough for it.  Now if we could just get her to wash her face and don a little more formal attire....  As you can see, she got to swim on her 7th birthday!  I actually kinda think the disheveled look is kinda cute in this picture.  This is what tea time looks like in our household..:).

Gloria's first present opened on her 7th birthday...

This is after unwrapping her long-awaited birthday gift from Gramma Shell.  She was on speakerphone with Gramma Shell when she opened it.  Gloria loves it and takes good care of it.

All I want for Chrithmas...

...to lose the other tooth now!

Pretzel Initials

They were yummy!
Evelyn got her cute little diapered self in the top pic...

JB seeing if Zephyr conducts electricity...

Her collar does!

Zephyr looks very worried.  I would be to with batteries and wires getting poked around in my fur...

JB received an electrical snap kit from Aunt Kristin for his half birthday about 2 months ago.  He's been having lots of fun with it.  Max has been able to show him a few things on it too...

Early, early, early stage of Potty Training

It's very important to have your sippy cup near your potty in case you get thirsty.  She did actually do a tiny #2 on the potty while Gloria was encouraging her and had brought her to the potty.  Maybe I should have Gloria take over...At this point Evie mostly just wants to be like everyone else in the house.  She has even tried to pee like the boys.

July 31st...Gramma Shell's Birthday

This is a picture from when we met Gramma Shell and our three older ones half way to Colorado to get our kids back.  We had them in Colorado for an AF Course in San Antonio that both Max and I went to.  It was Gramma Shell's birthday the day we got them so I brought some beigies (or blondies...however you want to call them) and a candle and lighter and we had a little party in Dalhart, TX. She had brought us almost a whole carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (yum!) that they had the night before.  I think I got the better deal - lots of kids and lots of cake.  Some days I'm not so sure that's the better deal though:0).  Very thankful for grandparents to help out in time of need.

The trains and silos are the perfect background.

Playing Age of Empires....

...and the rooster we now call Napoleon crowing from the highest point in our backyard he could find.  We are still stalling on how to deal with the rooster problem...having 6 roosters.  2 or 3 of them we don't mind naming lunch, dinner, and supper, but there's three that would be a bit more emotionally taxing.  Max says we might have to wait for them to do something that tries our patience or makes us angry with them before we can eat them.

Our Mighty Superheroes...

...and their blankies...   Evelyn got a bruise when she fell off of a step and into a chair at the bowling alley...a very graceful super-girl.

Evelyn is placed very strategically...

They even sing...

San Antonio, TX

At one of the amazing Basic Training Graduation parades at Lackland AFB. This was the last day of the 5-day Commander's Course at Randolph AFB.   I don't have pictures of the other days because a lot of it was power point presentations or talks by Generals and other higher-ups in the Air Force and/or their spouses.  A lot of good information and good talk from panels - First Sgt panel, Sq Command Spouse panel, etc.  Max and I and Evelyn traveled to San Antonio for the week while JB, Gloria, and Benaiah were in Colorado with grandparents.  Evelyn had a wonderful caretaker, a friend of Max's family - and now my friend! - close to Randolph.  I am so thankful and glad with how everything worked out with the childcare.    Thank you God for your provision and answer to prayer! I learned a lot and am really glad I went along!