Teddy Beay Picnic

At the end of the year the kindergarten classes go for a field trip across the street to the park with their stuffed animals for what is called a "Teddy bear picnic". Reed got to do it in his Preschool class too so he has been asking all year when this day was coming! He took his baseball bear and had so much fun taking him down the slides and swinging with him. This year Marian and Dani came with me and we met Reed at the park and had lunch with him. I am so glad they do this, what a fun thing to look forward too!

Reed taking his Teddy bear down the slide with him!

Some of Reed's class got a game of Red Rover going and Reed to play a bit

Memorial Day BBQ

We had a very good Memorial Day weekend! I hope you all did too! We got together at my brother's house and had a BBQ, they even brought a cake for my birthday on Wed. (it was very yummy too!)
Here is Dani talking to one of her newest cousins Naomi! Dani loves babies especially when they are wearing hats! :o)

Grandpa McNeff teasing Marian

Playing Castle Risk (a quicker version of the regular) and I made it all the way to the end with Austria! Gabe ended up winning and we had to convince him he could play! (that kid is great with strategy games)

Here are some of us eating

Ammon and Nicole have a rabbit named Chester and the girls were trying to feed him carrots. Marian even named her stuffed rabbit Chester after this bunny :o)

Dutch oven cook off!

This year's Shepherd Dutch Oven Cook-Off had to be relocated because of the high water in the stream that cuts through the yards where we normally hold it. I am grateful we moved it, but I do like it much better when there is a house closer by :o) So we had it at the town park this year. It was a bit chilly still and there is snow in the forecast for the weekend up there (in a couple of days it will be June and there is still snow in the forecast, I don't have to tell you how tired I am of winter right now). Dani dumped soda all over her shirt, Marian fell down the stairs to the slide, and Reed peed his pants, but other than that they all seemed to have a good time :o) I had to work for part of it so I met them up there, next year I really need to make sure I have that day off, it was slow in the store too. The things we cooked weren't all that great either, we couldn't cook and watch the kids and eat all at the same time with all the little mishaps going on, yeah next year I hope it back where it is supposed to be. :o) I really hope the weather is a little dryer next year, but anyway enjoy the pics!
We had to trick Marian into looking at the camera :o)

The Shepherds shoot'in the breeze

The boys found some great trees to play in!

Jeff being a true Shepherd (they like to talk!) :o)

The 4 cutest girls I knew there Maddie, Kira, Marian, and Dani (in the back)! They are all about the same age (except for Dani) One of these days I think it would be great fun to get them together just the 3 of them and play :o)

Reed and his racing snail!

I loved the little tea party that was going on above Reed with some of the girls, I thought it was so cute! I have loved getting to know some of Jeff's cousins better through facebook and blogs, it makes it so I don't feel such a stranger when we all get together like this :o)

I loved this! Dani looks like she is going to shoot of the slide while Marian is waiting at the top. I loved how this slide had a nice and long flat part at the bottom, kids don't just come down the slide and drop off :o) Dani could do the slide by herself for the most part. :o)

Both Reed and Marian have started posing for their pictures to be taken now, I don't know if that is good or bad, or if it means that I just take way to many pictures of them :o)

Dani's going to be eaten by a hippo!

Marian found a dog :o)

I got these cute little kid chairs at Smith's. There is a Frog, Monkey, and a Tiger. I was very happy to see them being enjoyed! I always felt bad that the kids never really had a place to sit, now they do! Bring on the summer hot dog roasts!

Reed Graduated!

Well he did it! Reed made it through his first "real" year of school! It was a little rough in the beginning as he was still having melt downs when things didn't go quite right, but he has really grown a lot and has learned sooooo much! I was amazed at what they teach them now in Kindergarten! He can now read (he was up to level 4 by the end of the year) books like the ones I was reading in 2nd grade! He knows basic math, including adding subtracting, estimating, and even the very basics of fractions! He can write his name, and other short sentences with punctuation and capitals and such. On top of that he has made friends and learned how to work with others. He knows his colors and can read them as well. I was able to go in and help then 3 Wednesdays out of the month so I was able to watch them all interact, it was really neat to see where they have all come over the past year. They don't look like little kindergartners any more they all look ready to start 1st grade now. They ate in the lunchroom for the first time last week and I asked Reed what he thought of that and he said it was scary. I am still not sure if I want to pack him a lunch or let him eat at the school, I will probably end up doing a bit of both I'm sure.

Reed and his teacher Mrs. Heaps (and Marian)Reed sitting next to one of his friends that he made. He comes home almost every day telling me how he and his friend are going to play the "Rocky" PS2 game and play after school.

Here are a couple of the songs that they did for their "Moms and Muffins" (graduation). I like the song about Icky Sticky and Ewy Gewy :o) They also did a really cute one about a fish that gets eaten by an octopus which gets eaten by a tuna and so on, but my card ran out of memory so I wasn't able to get that one. :o(

Facebook

Ok So you will have to watch her dance on my facebook post. This thing will just not load videos longer than 30 seconds. :o(

More Recital

There is more of her in the recital, I am just having problems getting it to load :o( So stay tuned in and hopefuly I will get it

Marian's part in her dance recital

Homemade bread

I remember my mom making bread when I was little and I remember getting to "help" by "making" my own little ones. As prices at the stores continue to rise I decided to make my own bread at my house now that I am a grown up :o) It only saves a few dollars, I know but I am also trying to eat healthier and this is much better for you, none of that preservative stuff and added vitamins in there either, it's about as natural as you get. I grind the wheat (just like my mom used to) and then I make the bread :0) I feel like the little red hen except I didn't grow the wheat :o) It has been a process getting it to look just right and not crumble, but I am getting to the point where that is now the exception to the rule :o) For any relations that happen to read on here it is grandma Freeman's recipe just halved :o) Here it is for any who would like to give it a go:

1 quart (jar) warm water

2 TBSP Yeast

*8-9 cups Flour

1/2 cup Oil

1/2 cup Honey

2 eggs

1 TBSP Salt

Mix the water and yeast together and allow to sit for a few minutes (the time it takes to gather remaining ingredients) Add Oil, then Honey, then Eggs, and Salt. Mix together well, then add 2 cups of flour. Mix well, then add 2 more and continue until dough is firm enough to knead. Knead on lightly floured surface (I add oil to my hands so the dough doesn't stick as much). Knead until dough springs back when poked. Spray pam in a bowl and allow to raise 25-30 minutes. Divide into 3 balls and knead each one, then shape and place in greased pan and allow to raise again for about 20-30 minutes then place in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes. Take bread out of pan and allow to cool on a rack for however long you can wait before you have to have a piece :o)

*I do use half and half whole wheat bread flour and whole wheat ground in my kitchen flour to help me.

Mother's Day!

Grandpa Shepherd got Chicks!!!!

Dani isn't quite sure what to make of those little noise makers

Marian was sooo excited to hold one! She kept trying to catch one even after let her hold one. Her nose is yellow because she had been picking dandelions and smelling them :o) Never fails to leave that tell tale sign of yellow pollen behind!

Reed (of course) was afraid they would bite him (did I ever mention he was afraid of the butterflies last year, and the worms this year!)

Dani wanted to give the chicks a kiss! She dragged daddy back down to see them at least once or twice more after the first time! :o)

I loved the way I caught the dogs playing in this picture! Dooky is the little brown terrier mix from next door that is just Rocky's size :o) Rocky was still absolutely worn out after a few hours of play though :o) Good thing too because it is supposed to be rainy for the next couple of days and I don't think he will be getting his walks because of the it. :o)

Once again these two make such good friends! I love it!!! I hope they always stay good friends!

Marian loves to have Dani go down slides on her lap!

She loves them even more when her sister goes down with her!

Dani LOVES slides!

Fun at the Shepherd house!

You have to check out Dani's face expressions in these pictures!

if you can click on the pictures and make it bigger to see Dani's cute face expressions!

I loved this shot! It reminds me of poems that talk about life and such where you are a traveler on a dusty road with life's companions. Does it get much better than riding you bike with your dad by your side and your dog racing after you! :o)

Reed gets to ride his new bike for the first time! He had such a good time he had to run back in the house and tell Grandma that she had to come watch him because he was so "awesome!"

This was taken a few hours before the other two. It had rained for several hours before the last two here were taken and look how much more it had risen! Good thing there isn't much down there but fields.

This is normally a quite creek that runs through Grandpa Shepherd's property, not right now though! It hasn't been this high in years! That little aspen tree is usually several feet away from the edge of the creek. It looks like the water might go around the bridge!

Marian and Dani in their Hawaii dresses! (Dani is mad because she wants more candy and needs a nap)