Captain's Log: Father's Day Week!

Father's Day!

He is a good Dad.

They all filled out an "All about Dad" questionnaire

(which was hilarious as he read them out loud to us)

and the 2 older ones also wrote him sweet letters.

A Father's Day tradition I began a few years back :)

He threw himself in the pool with Chester :)

Bounty from the Clay Collins Garden

basil

The gazebo is up and just needs the roof!

more homemade pots by Clay with all the herbs

thai basil

the abundant mint

english thyme

Chester's bell pepper plant

the cantaloupe is going bonkers

tomatoes

last week was filled with playing in the pool and getting this one ready for college...filling out all the paperwork to play basketball is huge! We got word she can head up to SLO but the protocols are very intense.

I can't believe she'll be leaving in a month.

Also, her face looks like 6 year old Lucy here :)

I sat and waited for my hummingbird friends

there are two hummingbirds that buzz around playfully, swooping in and out of the flowers. After I put the feeders out, I can watch them more!

They like this flat disk feeder best :)

putting together 3 of their subscription kits...we made it a competition.

Audrey had the lamp, Chester the calendar,

Henry the desk...turns out the desk was the easiest!

They told Lucy to take it with her to college, haha.

Clay and I have also been perfecting our plate lunch since he got us a grill :)

taking Lucy's ID photo for Cal Poly :)

Dang it, we are going to miss her!

San Diego day to celebrate a very special little guy!

Audrey and Henry playing with the preschoolers, haha

Avery and Chester playing all afternoon together :)

my Dad beaming while talking to Mark

Cute last pic of the day with kids of their cousins but we just call them all cousins :)

And a report on the pandemic: It is still spreading in Los Angeles County.

I filled out a form regarding learning preferences for school starting in the fall.

Not an option for "go back to school everyday".

Businesses are opening back up, masks are worn everywhere, we continue to just stick around home and beaches.

People seem to be going back to normal but it's just not normal.

They aren't acting normal at all!

It is stunning to realize how quickly government exercised the authority to shut everything down.

Yes, for good reasons.

Absolutely.

But now, I'm left wondering why everything feels so cherry picked.

Why do leaders seem so permissive on both sides of the coin?

I am deeply grateful for our prophet, President Nelson who has showed true leadership in a world which lacks truth telling.

We can say what we believe but until we live it daily and teach our children what is important

...then it won' t really matter.

Good things to come?

I really hope so

Comments

The Lofty Summer Project

Summer Milkbarn projects! We had so many plans and then like anything, summer came and kind of went (well, unless you count the 25 days left of actual summer). We accomplished 2 things. Here is the the boys room remodel. We haven't completed the built in book shelves but this is a pretty amazing re-do since it was a pretty nasty room to start with. Before photos (after I delightfully cleaned, donated and organized the boys belongings! well, not all of them) Right below this crack through their ceiling slept Henry in the top bunk. If I was him, I would've imagined monsters or something trying to break in from another dimension... oh wait, that is Stranger Things on Netflix ( okay, so that was my 3rd summer project) old paint swatches from 2 1/2 years ago lightening speed around here! Ripped up the carpet and remains of a rainbow loom rip rainbow looms After the carpet and linoleum un...

Slowdown and Stuff

And we're back.... it's been slow going at the Milkbarn. We moved a tree over and out of the drive way. Alert the presses. At some point, someone might be able to get out of our driveway. You know, when all the lumber has been moved. We want visitors. Just drop in. Clay or I can back your car out for you! Floors are done in the apartment. Wait! Spoke too soon. They are awaiting the 3rd and final coat after we(*Clay) drywall. We are here too much. Typical Saturday night. Trampoline is up. It is now chained closer to a clump of trees. It tried to fly away with the canyon winds. Into the power line above. Audrey started basketball. 21 for the block! Hopefully the driveway will be paved for a hoop this summer. Audrey turned 9 and chose to be with her best friend instead of a big party. Ice skating in Louisville, dinner at the Huckleberry and shopping for mood necklaces at the mall. ...

Costumes and Windows

Our shady tree Our favorite tree holds this swing we pulled out of the "jungle room"...remember the room with the Bali mural and plants everywhere that left our collective heads scratching? The swing survived the excavating. Anyway, our swing is a place where we play, snack, talk, think, hold hands, lean on each other and (maybe)escape. Or watch bunnies. RIP Ernie. (My bunny friend that never ran away from me.) I love how the Milkbarn looks in the fall. Delivery complete. We filled this dumpster up within a week or two of tearing up the apartment. Windows installed! The three on the left is where the kitchen sink will be. Early fall morning looking towards the canyon. Autumn never gets old for me. Our backyard neighbors must be sick of looking at this mess. The kids picked this up unwillingly. Ah, Milkbarn memories. Sleeping in our future kitchen yo. Halloween chaos. I decided this year to make some Halloween...

Hello Collins

Search This Blog