Heron Update

After doing a bit of research on wild bird rescues and realizing that the heron was able to get around a bit, (we think it had a hurt leg), Rich and Dante released the heron at the neighbor's pond. They reported back that the minute the bird was let go, he started calling out and hunting. He definitely had a better chance at getting what he needed being in his natural habitat.

THE GREAT HERON RESCUE

ALL OF US BOYS WENT FOR A WALK TO SEE THE BISON UP THE ROAD. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT A HUNDRED YARDS FROM THE BISON ELI SAID, '' I BET THAT WOULD BE A GOOD SHOT WITH A BB GUN''. WE LOOKED OVER AND SAW WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A PHEASANT. WHEN WE GOT CLOSER WE SAW A BIRD FLOPPING AROUND TRYING TO FLY. WHEN I SAW THE STRUGGLING BIRD MY GRANDPA WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A JOKE. I RAN OVER, SCOOPED UP THE BIRD, RAN BACK ON THE PATH AND SAID, ''CONTINUE''. THE BIRD DID NOT PUT ON A FIGHT ALL THE WAY HOME. WHEN WE GOT HOME I BURST IN THE DOOR AND SAID,'' MOM LOOK WHAT I FOUND.'' MY MOM SAID, ''WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT THING?,'' AS SHE POINTED TO THE DOOR.'' I EXPLAINED THAT THE BIRD WAS HURT. MY GRANDPA SAID,''I DID NOT SAY A THING.'' AFTER A LONG DEBATE AND A LOT OF,''BUT MOM LOOK AT THE POOR THING,'' WE DECIDED THAT IT COULD STAY IN THE CHICKEN COOP. MY DAD TOOK IT TO THE CHICKEN COOP WHERE THE HEALING, VERY TERRITORIAL HERON IS MAKING SURE THAT WE STAY OUT OF HIS CHICKEN COOP.

HERE ARE A FEW FACTS ABOUT HERONS (MY MOM MADE ME WRITE THESE FOR ''EDUCATIONAL VALUES.)


TRI-COLORED HERONS LAY 3-6 EGGS A YEAR.
FEMALES ARE THE SAME COLORS AS MALES.
THE HERONS DIET IS FISH AND INSECTS.
TRI-COLORED HERONS ARE BECOMING ENDANGERED.

Just a joke

These three men went golfing. They were Jesus, Moses, and an old man. They were playing pretty well until the 11th hole. There was a huge water trap. It was Mose's turn. He swings, hits the ball, parts the water, and hits a hole in one. Now, it is Jesus turn. Jesus swings, hits the ball, it lands in the middle of the water. Jesus walks on top of the water, and takes a second swing, ball in hole. The old man is up. Hits the ball into the water, where a bass grabs the ball, an eagle flies down and grabs the bass out of the water. They eagle flies over the hole where the bass drops the ball into the hole. Jesus exclaims, "Stop showing off, Dad."

Going off to war

I had to take the dog out to the end of the road and all I had was my long johns upstairs. I decided to use my little brothers camo jacket and his way too small hat. It kept me pretty warm even though it made me look like a chicken legged warrior.
Dante

Spider Art

You know times are tough when we are digging in the school closet to find lost, hidden art projects that we abandoned when the weather got nice. We have been COOPED UP in a big way during the past couple of weeks. (Feels like 3 months) Anyway, Dante was ansing around enough this afternoon that I went digging for something for him to do. My mom had given him this art scratch board during the Spring and he was so uninterested in taking his time and making it look nice. What a difference a rainy day makes. It is very cool and he did a super job. I am pretty sure he spent over an hour on it. It is a picture of a tarantula that glows in the dark.

Baby Cowgirl

I wish I had time to go into detail regarding the Cowboy Epidemic that has swept through our home during the past year. Long story short...Dante is slowly but surely succeeding in initiating all family members into his Cowboy Gang. Check out baby Cowgirl Cheyanne.

Love,

Amy

First Guitar Song

We decided to expirment with uploading a video to our blog. What better thing to upload than one of our most talented family members. Dante is entering his 4th week of guitar lessons and has been toying with some new songs. This is one called "Playing with My Guitar." He wrote it to help him with chord changes. We are working on learning "Oh! Suzanna" together, so that we can sing and play with the little ones.
Love,Amy

Driving Miss Daisy

Dante has become very very close with a lady who lives down the street. She moved in about a year ago and has truly won Dante's heart. Watching the two of them together is just so reassuring that there is still simplicity in this crazy world. I have starting watching the way they interact so that I might get a few pointers on exactly how to win a 10 year old boy's heart. Truthfully the biggest benefit from their relationship is the one on one time together. Dante rarely gets undivided attention (which is okay), but it is nice for him to have a safe place to go on occasion when things get totally "daddy daycare" at our home.

We stopped at Michael's after church last week to use a 40% off coupon and Dante spotted this big straw hat. He declared that Ms. Ethel NEEDED that hat to keep the gnats away from her face while they were working in the garden. So, he used his own money, bought her the hat, and beamed from ear to ear the entire way home. He walked down to her house the minute we got home and about 15 minutes later, the two of them walked back down to our home. She had tied this colorful scarf around the hat and she looked absolutely adorable. I told her that someday Dante might chauffeur her around and she could wear her southern garden hat and be Miss Daisy.

Love,

Amy

David and Goliath

Dante started obsessing about having a pouch to put his rocks in that he uses with his sling shot. So, I finally just encouraged him to make one. It was amazing how quickly he put this thing together. He sewed a totally function able "rock holder" for himself. He really did do it all one his own. Okay, I did thread the needle, but other than that it is Dante's original creation. It is adorable...he has been carrying it around with him everywhere for the past week. Check it out.

Love,

Amy

A poem

Life is a book
A journey
Happy or sad
Long or short
God wrote it with His feather in hand
With tears in His eyes
Looking down
At that empty page
Life is a book

Written by Dante

Dante's first photos

Dante will be taking some photos at the birth of baby #5, so we thought it would be a good idea to let him practice a bit with the camera. He scooted outside the other night to snap a few pics of the sunset that we are blessed to be able to see from our living room window each evening.

Love,

Amy