Little button blue eyes series (Evelyn - still 2)

JB's Joyous Job

JB's finally way excited about a chore and I'm excited too because it is very helpful to me.  He gets to take his newly fixed 4-wheeler with bungeed-down box on the back to the dumpsters at the bottom of the mountain to take the trash!

Our kitchen trash has to be taken down to the dumpsters as soon as the trash is full because if I put it in the garage it attracts mice and it could attract bears.  It surely attracts our Boykin Spaniel, Zephyr, too, who is usually the one to start the holes in the bags.  Thus, it has been a big and stinky chore for me to constantly load up the garbage into the back of the van as we are headed somewhere.  The worst thing is when I would forget I had it in the car and have to drive around with garbage in the back of the  van.

Our good friend, Bob, graciously and painstakingly fixed the 4-wheeler for JB after he had run the 4-wheeler without oil, which ruined the engine.  It also had some other problems, but it's running well now!  I'm excited because I get an excited 9-year-old boy who wants to take the trash down.  The main attraction for him:  getting to ride on the road all the way to the dumpsters!

 JB taking a bag of trash to the dumpster.  We rigged a bin on the back of his 4-wheeler with bungee cords...so far it's working!

 I had JB break down a lot of the cardboard boxes and take them to the dumpsters.  This cleared out our garage a lot!

 He looks miserable to be doing this chore, doesn't he?

There he goes down the driveway and onto the road...

a 5-year old's prayer

I had already prayed with all the kids and quickly and stealthily made my way to the stairs before another request could be made.  Max is 9 hours ahead where he is stationed right now and if I get the kids to bed before about 9:30pm, we can usually have a good talk before he goes to work in his morning (my night).  However, as I stuck my toe over the top step to make my way downstairs I heard from the boys' room, "Mom, you didn't pray with me!".  Actually, I had prayed with him, but he was in his own little world and didn't pay attention to my prayer.  God heard it and that's the important thing.  Maybe it's God's way of increasing my prayer life when I have to go pray with my 5-year-old twice.  Hoping it wouldn't take too long so I could still catch my hubby on Skype, I went back to his bed and prayed that he would have a good sleep and would grow into a mighty warrior for God.  I said amen, but Benaiah said he wanted to pray.  This is a very good thing, but I know how long his prayers can be, so I thought I would let him know my predicament.  I asked him to please keep his prayer short so that I would be able to talk to Daddy before he went to work.  Benaiah said okay and proceeded to pray:

"Dear God, I pray that Mommy can make it downstairs in time to talk to Daddy.  I pray that Daddy doesn't go to work before Mommy can talk to him.  God, please help Mommy to run downstairs so that she doesn't miss Daddy.  Dear God, help Mommy to go quickly so that she can talk to Daddy before he goes to work.  I pray that Mommy and Daddy would be able to talk to each other tonight.  I pray that Daddy is really slow in getting ready to go to work so that Mommy can catch him on the computer....".

This went on for a while and it made me smile because no matter how long he prayed, God could make it happen that I would still be able to talk to Max...and then I had a story for Max when I did talk to him that night.  Thank you, Benaiah, for your many prayers that I wouldn't miss Daddy.  What a sweet and cute 5-year-old.

The Ultimate Creek and Beaver Dam Day

 Looking for the beaver dams

 Found the first beaver dam

 It was scary getting into the dammed up creek water at first because I couldn't see the bottom and in a lot of places it was either mucky or slippery.  I decided to be brave and follow the kids who wanted to wade/swim  as far as they could go down the stream.  We ended up going over at least 12 beaver dams on the way.  It was a lot of fun and refreshing on a hot day.  The kids had a blast and now have a great memory with their cousins - Bethany, Samuel, and Naomi.

 Gloria and Naomi had a great time together the whole time they were visiting.

 The first beaver dam.

 Some of the parts were too deep for Benaiah to walk so he was my little monkey clinging to me.:)

 Gloria with train in the background

The kids called these hotdogs...or corn dogs.  Not very good for eating though...kinda fuzzy on the inside.

All 9 if us...

 This trip to the American Girl Doll Store in Denver was part of Naomi's birthday present and wish.  She got her own American Girl Doll.  Bethany and Gloria have fun with American Girl Dolls also - Gloria's doll is a historical character - Elizabeth, and Bethany's Doll and a look-alike.  I think Naomi's new doll's name is McKenna.  

 The moms and Gramma Lois had a great girl time too!  We went to the Cheesecake Factory to eat afterward.  There's three restaurants around the Doll store that are "doll friendly" and Cheesecake Factory was one of them with seats for the dolls that hang from the tables.

 Emily, me, and my mom.  

Cousin Naomi's 7th Birthday

 Naomi (my sister's youngest) wanted to ride a horse (pony) for her birthday.  Since Gramma Shell and Granddude have horses and they are so willing to share their horses and time for lessons, Naomi got her wish.

 Auntie Emily (my sister) did a "pop on" onto this horse.

 Cousin Bethany riding a horse.

 Bethany doing a "Deadman Dismount".  Just don't tell her that's the name of it:).

 Naomi had sundaes for her birthday party at Gramma Shell and Grandude's house.  Thanks, Naomi, for having a birthday and celebrating it with us!

Naomi and her icecream with birthday candle.

More Creek

 I was down in the creek with Evelyn after she missed the creek adventure of the day due to her nap.  She loves wearing her bathing suit and I love relaxing down by the creek, especially if I get to put the lawn chair down in the creek.  It causes Evie to come down and play and I get the coolness of the water.  I did get a bit more wet than expected because Evie was climbing on the lawn chair and fell in backwards.  I had to hug and snuggle her to comfort her so I got a bit wet.  Then I used my shirt to wrap her up in.

Emily, Samuel, and the I-like-to-be-around-people-but-not-IN-the-water-cat.

Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo

 California, Boston, and Colorado clan all going to the rodeo.  For our Bremer family, at least for some of us  (me) it's our 5th or 6th rodeo, but all of my rodeos have been in Altus, OK.  This was a bigger one, but there's something about a small town rodeo that was missing a bit in this one.  However, I think everyone had a great time and wasn't too traumatized by the calves being caught and thrown down and tied up.  My extended family was amazed by how patriotic and still Christian the rodeo is...at the end giving glory to God and thanking Him for our freedom and the beauty of this country.  It's the first time I've been to a rodeo with towering beautiful mountains in the background and my first one without Max.  Although he has been to many Colorado rodeos I hope to share this one with Max through pics.

 Somehow I didn't get Gloria in a cowboy hat.

Creek Time Colorado

 Benaiah holding on for dear life as the rushing waters rage below him... Can't you tell he's so scared?

 What an insensitive mom, not paying any attention to her boy's dilemma.  As you can see, the water in the creek down in the hollow below Gramma Shell and Grandude's place is pretty shallow and calm, but a great place to cool off on a hot summer day.  This year has actually been pretty hot here in Colorado...not compared to where hubby is though.

 The cat's not too sure about being held above the water, and our kids' cousin, Bethany (11 years), is not too sure about the cat at this moment...

JB's cousin, Samuel (only two months older than JB - 9years), caught a snake in the garden, which made his day.