I went to open my blog today and out comes this puff of dust instead. I feel like Rip Van Winkle returning to life after years and years of sleeping, only this lucky lady got no sleep. Seriously though, in the business of my day and in a desire to do NOTHING when the kids go to bed, I guess I kinda forgot about this little area of life...but I did start this post how long ago, so I will go ahead and finish it and play catch up later, if there is anything I feel needs to be caught up on.

This post is going to be our Spring break; we went to the farm for a few days' getaway. Sunday was the first day and it was a beautiful one! We were inspired to go on a walk on the farm, exploring places we hadn't yet seen.

Titus and Micah were napping so we thought it would be perfect to take the other three kids with us. While we were out, I was inspired to take some pictures. Unfortunately, my camera was on the wrong setting and I have a lot of grainy pictures. These pictures were neat to me. You may not see them the same way, but at least you are seeing them, right?

I believe this is the view out the back door of the house, but it's where we started our exploring.

This barn is about ready to collapse from what it looks like but we peeked inside and then continued around the back. Granddad still keeps equipment in there.

This is a shot of the same barn on the other side. In almost 10 years of going to the farm, I had never been on this side of the property. What a shame.

Here is one of the many items of machinery that are buried on the property. It was like one day they used it and the next day they decided they were done with it and there it stayed.

Leaf River runs through the property, something I also didn't know. This area was so peaceful and relaxing. We told the kids to play and have fun and if they fell in, the water was only up to their ankles so not to worry. Not to TRY to fall in, but not to be scared that they might. This little boy's wheels are turning!

What's a farm without finding an animal skull? Granddad used to have cows and we believe this is one that got away...it was pretty cool to find.

This is one of the few moments when Levi wasn't complaining about wanting to go back to the house because daddy had to mention that one time years ago when he was a little boy (and not allowed to go exploring like the kids are doing now so he said it was his first time back here too) there was a snake on the property so Levi was determined that that same snake was just waiting for us around every turn and under every leaf. The mean mom that I am, I made him persevere even when he said, "I'm not going that way because we haven't seen the snake yet and that means he's still coming." I thought boys were supposed to like snakes. What happened?

Beautifully cool trees. God is such the artist.

And more. This doesn't look like much but I really got caught up in the landscape there. What I wouldn't give to have that all in our backyard!!!

These branches looked more to me like fingers walking on the ground, like what you'd do when your hand "walks" like a spider on the tabletop. How many of you just made your hand do the spider walk?

This was the fun part when all three kids wanted to cross the "ravine" on the fallen tree and so we were excited and naturally we encouraged them each to do it on their own.

Eden and I were trailing behind the boys because her feet "hurt so bad can you carry me mommy" so we were slow. I love this shot!

Speaking of shot...how funny was this? We brought the BBGun on our exploration "just in case we see any foxes or other mean animals." In this picture Elijah was just being silly, as usual, and collapsed out of exhaustion so I seized the photo op. I guess it could NOT be funny...it's kinda creepy looking now that I see it. I was there so it was funny but there are a lot of first timers looking at this now...hmmm. I didn't think about that. Moving on...

I told Elijah he'd better get up and run before daddy really did shoot him in the tail with that BBGun. He covered his assets and ran like the wind. Ok, now I'm laughing at my word...I was going to say "covered his goods" but that wouldn't refer to his tail end, so I chose assets and how apropos.

Here is one of several cars that are layed to rest on the property. Seriously. This car either has tree growing around it or it was parked there very carefully in between the trees. I don't get it. At anyrate, I went up close to look inside and there was a couple masked bandits in there looking right at me, only I didn't see them right away. Instead I was only seeing the reflection of the crops behind me and then my own reflection as I got closer. For a brief moment, once I was able to view past the reflections, I was scared thinking that there was someone in there. Then I laughed at myself thinking that a person was in there and then I ran away because I started to imagine the disturbed raccoon chasing me away from his home.

Eden finally managed to score a lift back to the house. Leave it to daddy!

The girls got new "babing" suits while we were there. Eden just LOVES the ruffle that goes from one hip all the way around the bum to the other hip. She delightedly says her "babing suit has ballerina on it."

In closing I've got these wet gents. It had been raining and some more of the rock from the "cliff" next to the lane (the forever long driveway) fell and were in the lane so grandad needed them moved. He was going to do it himself or grandma was going to have to do it so instead Tim took his little men and off they went in the rain to move boulders. Now, what kid in his right mind would complain about going out in the rain to get filthy dirty? Levi. That poor kid inherited the grumbling gene and often I'm inclined to spank it out of him. But alas, it runs deep. Regardless of the lack of younger brother cooperation, the boys had fun and one of them even worked hard. Tim pulled a muscle in his back with his hard work but it didn't make our trip to the farm any less fun or relaxing. Now can't wait to go exploring this summer!!!