A Fabulous, Fantastic Fourth!

Once again, Duane & I traveled to Lake Limestone with friends to celebrate the birth of our country. We always have a great time at this gathering, even if it is a lot of work!

Crystal, Noah, Jacks, & I went up Friday to unload and get the lakehouse ready for everyone else. (OKAY...really, we went up a day early so that we would have an extra day of R&R at the lake!) The trip started with a lot of drama...we managed to lock ourselves out of the house and lose Jacks in the first 10 minutes of the trip. Fortunately, these were minor setbacks and were the only drama episodes of the weekend!

The lake is really low. The drought has hit Limestone County pretty hard, but it is still a beautiful view!

After unloading, unpacking, and putting things away, Noah was excited to finally get in the yard and play with Jacks! They had a great time!

When Jacks woke me up at dawn, I was NOT happy with him. Then, I saw the sunrise over the lake. It was breathtaking! I was glad to be able to take a few pictures before heading back to bed!

Once everyone was up, we had almost a full day of playing, napping, and visiting! It was great!

We even had a quick rain storm Saturday evening.

The men & the Grecos arrived Saturday night, and the party was ON! It's not quite the same party as when we were twenty-somethings, but we manage to have a good time anyway!

How many Aggies does it take to replace refrigerator doors?

For this bunch...4!

Had to spend some time playing outside with Jacks. He is really a barrel of energy, unless he gets some exercise! He LOVES that stringy toy!

Ayla was satisfied to stay inside and soak up the air conditioning!
Visiting in the shade with Chuck...

Noah was a big help in the kitchen during the cooking.

But, his favorite activity was playing in the lake!

We spent some time hanging out on the pier, soaking up some sun.

Found some clams & had to check them out.

Casey did some fishing with the shucked clams, but didn't have much luck.

After dinner, we headed back to the pier, hoping to see a few fireworks.

Monday meant more reading, more napping, & the arrival of MORE FRIENDS!

There was a bit of gaming.

And even MORE cooking & more eating (of course)!

It was a fabulous, fantastic Fourth celebration!!!

Happy Birthday, America! May freedom always ring!

Brothers Share

We ran out of dog food (Oh the HORROR!), and even though there was food in the dish when we went to bed last night, Deuce's behavior this morning conjured up visions of an overly dramatic, tearful Sally Struthers. Since Duane had already said he would grab some food on the way home from work, I decided to feed the dogs a bit of the canned food that we keep on hand. Both launched into their breakfasts with great happiness, and it was this happiness and the aroma (a.k.a. stench) of the Alpo that got Oreo's attention. Bypassing Deuce's plate (Hey, the cat isn't stupid; he knows better than to interfere with Deuce's food!!!), Oreo headed straight to Jacks' plate and politely informed him that brothers share.

Clearly, Jacks is not convinced by Oreo's arguments!

But, he knows that he isn't going to get rid of the cat, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

And, that was Jack's mistake because Oreo proceeded to bully Jacks out of his plate without so much as a growl, hiss, or even a sharp look. It was a perfect passive-aggressive takeover. And once again, we learn who REALLY rules this house!

Jacks just sadly slinked (slunk?) away and could only watch as the cat ate his fill. Fortunately, for Jacks anyway, this didn't take too long and he could finally finish his breakfast in peace.

And now, the plates are trashed, the cat is deep into bath mode, and both dogs are curled up asleep on the floor. All is right in their world again!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

We went to Garrison to spend Father's Day with the greatest Daddy ever! Of course while we were there, we had to survey the farm; Daddy's gardens are always the best!

A walk around the pond with Jacks and his new bestie, Beau...

Stringy toy is fun at home AND at Nanna & Pappy's!
BFFs...

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! Love you!

Blueberries!

Crystal, Noah, Shannon, and I spent a Friday morning picking blueberries & peaches at King's Orchard in Plantersville. Fun! Fun! Fun!

And my harvest made it possible to make this delicious blueberry-peach cobbler. YUM-O!

Family Fun

Each June, the Kersten clan gathers for a family reunion. There is always a bit of competition, and Duane is ALWAYS in the middle of it. This year basketball was the game of choice, and I HAD to snap a few pics!

SCORE!
See where Duane gets it???
FOUL!!! Where are the refs for this game?
Just like in the NBA...well, not exactly like the NBA because the goal had been lowered for the little kiddos!!
It was a fun, fun day!
Really!

Day Lilies

Mother took advantage of my veggie garden success and passed on some day lilies to me. Knowing my thumb-color disability, she potted them and got them all ready for me and gave me strict watering instructions. And voila...they actually bloomed! Maybe my green thumb has just been dormant all of these years!