Visit with Friends and Memorial Weekend with Family

Amy's mentor from undergrad, Dr Bryce Smith, visited with A^4 on Monday evening on his way from the Soo to Maine.  Amy was away for a Great Lakes work conference and Addie had her 4th grade band performance!  We hope that everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Weekend with family and friends!!!!

Bryce getting acquainted with Sage :)  

Group photo:)

Ayson met twoey (Cash 2)

Ayson wanted a sunset photo :)

Addie and her class with their books from Book Blast

Wednesday was the 4th-6th grade band and chorus concert.

A walk around the gardens before heading to the concert

 

Addie walking to her chair.

Jaws!  One girl was selected to yell "shark!"  and then ALL of the kiddos scream at the end :)

On Saturday, A^4 headed to Grandma Collene's for a Memorial weekend BBQ. 

Addie putting a crayfish on the smoker:)   

Check out Ayson in the background with the smile on his face :)

Ayson and the big boys playing corn hole.

Gorgeous evening!

Ayson and Addie played corn hole with Kaela and Kamryn.

Uncle Jay prepping the pulled pork.

Addie and Kaela playing with Scarlet (Auntie Fran's granddaughter).

Monkey in the middle.

Park Cleanup and Gardens

Another warm week with lots of walks around the gardens and fun outside!  On Saturday, we helped with a Park cleanup and then got the rest of the garden planted.  We hope that our family and friends are happy and healthy and enjoying May!!

Ayson being a leech/lamprey to Adam in the pool :)

Ayson wanted to capture the sun shining on the mountain - great pic, Big Guy!

The kids playing catch after dinner

Ayson and Adam digging holes for MORE grapes: resiling and gewurztraminer (two white wines)

Our irises are blooming!

On Saturday, we helped at the park cleanup across the street from our house.  We scraped and stained the teeter totter, the two park signs were fixed, old picnic tables removed and a new one brought in AND the post supporting the basketball backboard and hoop was finally straightened :)

We spent the rest of the weekend working in the gardens:)

Ayson's "pumpkin patch"  He is not happy to know that he will need to do a little thinning of his plants...

Addie worked on her cartwheel over the weekend

Baby Chicks and the ZOO!

 A week filled with warm afternoons and evenings allowed for plenty of play time outside after dinner.  During the weekend, we gardened, helped friends with a chicken coup, went swimming (the pool is already 80 degrees!), and Addie and Amy went to a zoo for a Girl Scouts event.  We hope that our family and friends are doing well!

Ayson relaxing on the tire swing

On Saturday, we (Adam) helped a friend (and neighbor) move a chicken coup.  So of course while the men were working, the kids and ladies played with the baby chicks!

LOOK at that smile!

Too cute!

More smiles

A chick relaxing with Ayson

Addie wanted to see how many chicks she could hold at one time - her max was three :)

The view of our valley from our friend/neighbors house.

A neighborhood cat, Special Agent Cooper, stopped by our yard Saturday evening - the kids LOVED it...our cats - not so much:)

On Sunday, Addie's Girl Scout Troop went to The Wild Animal Park

Baby pigs!

The girls had a fabulous time!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of our 2 and 4 legged moms!  We hope that everyone had a relaxing day!!!

Amy was on Grand Island NY for the week working on purple martin structures - a sunrise and Niagara River picture.

Addie working on a Girl Scout activity: drawing an animal picture on a t-shirt using her hand as the pattern - a trumpeter swan.

Meanwhile, Ayson and Adam were at the fishing derby.  Addie started out at the derby but got cold after an hour and wanted to go home.  Ayson and Adam "hunted" for night crawlers (worms) Friday night and they had massive success with the worms!  Participants came by to ask Ayson what type of bait he was using :)

Ayson caught a total of 6 rainbow trout and 1 sunfish:)  He won 2nd place, for the 6th grade for the longest fish - 12 1/2 inches.  His prize was a new fishing pole (last year he won a tackle box).

TaDa!

Ayson wanted to eat the fish - so Adam showed Ayson how to clean and prep the fish.

Then the fish were cooked on the grill.

We have Baltimore oriels and humming birds!!!

On Sunday, we spent the day gardening - Addie helping Adam plant the front planters with flowers.

The kids and Adam made two new bird houses to replace the broken bird houses in our yard:)

Amy and her pretty Mother's Day flowers: three hanging baskets and three potted flowers :)