4th of July House Cleaning

Ahhh, nothing like vacuuming and dusting to celebrate the 4th! But it's actually the way I chose to spend today. After a lazy Sunday -- we took Bo to his first ever theater movie, Cars 2, and then watched the fireworks at Prairie Meadows in Altoona -- today was a day to clean house, do some laundry, work in the yard, use up leftovers and odds and ends, and mentally prepare for the work week ahead. It was a good day.

Saturday the boys and I woke up early on the farm and were in the pool by 9:45 am. We think Mazy spent over 7 hours in the pool that day -- he certainly has the sunburn to prove it... I applied sunscreen FOUR times but by the time he came in at 4ish, he was pretty well burnt to a crisp on his face and back.

On Saturday night, Mom invited Grandma Maxine and Grandpa Pud, and Grandpa Keith over for supper. It was so fun sitting around the table talking to the three of them about their ancestors and family members. I learned some very interesting stories that I'd never heard before.

Grandpa Keith said some of our relatives, the Burnhams, hung a man after he stole their horse! Vigilante justice. Crazy, but I have to admit, a little bit cool. Don't tell my peacnik friends I said that! And Grandpa Pud told me that after they moved to Iowa, he bought an old church for $50, took it apart board by board, and then built his house with that lumber! How cool is that! I think that's very ingenious and earth-friendly. Way to go. I heard more about the night that a young man drowned in Grandpa Keith's timber and the day they searched the timber for a young boy who was lost. And Grandpa Pud said one of his relatives married Henry Ford's granddaughter! Such cool stories. It made me realize how much I need to record these stories and get them on video and paper... So that's going to be my next project -- family stories. There are so many good ones, I can't wait to get started!

Well, I heard the fireworks going outside. It's after 8 and Bo should get to bed. It's been a great three-day weekend. Happy Independence Day to you all!