Warning: When you live in the country never step foot off your screened porch with toddler in hand while talking to you prayer partner on the phone… screaming, shrill, musical notes in the sound of  OHHH..SSSSSNake…sixfoot. five. four. big. bye. gotta. go. SNAKE!…may leave your prayer partner in a fit of hysterical laughs.

I proceeded into the house with strict orders for the girls to stay inside, while I put on my tallest boot..lime green hunter water boots…ran out the back door to the shed..grabbed a shovel..decided against also carrying the axe..returned to the scene of the snake spotting only for anger to rise with-in me that the HUGE snake was now hiding in the vicinity…I looked under the porch but could not see anything..(and remembered  my last snake encounter near the porch) .then thought like a snake and lifted my over grown purple-headed  chives…AHHHH! I quickly shoved the shovel on the snake and attempted decapitation….the wood chips prevented my thrusts from penetrating….so I stood on the snake and asked Pippi (who had cracked the front door to make sure I was safe) to get my camera and take a picture of me…the batteries were dead…

Next, I coaxed her to get me the phone..I called boss man and he was one hour away planting a field of corn…he suggested sending Pippi out to the shed to grab the axe..

WHAT? She is four..I do not let her hold sharp knives…she doesn’t know what an axe is…I had no choice…well I could have let the snake go..like I said NO CHOICE!

Pippi locating the axe for our second snake kill

The sweet girl had brought  our sun screen to kill the snake..after I convinced her sun screen would not protect us from the snake she decided if she was going to walk across the yard to the shed she should put sunscreen on…The snake was wrapping it’s tail around my boot so I repositioned….

Pippi then decided she needed to wear socks to protect her toes…Mister snake was attempting to slither out of my shovel pin….she went inside…upstairs…back down stairs…onto the porch and deliberated which shoes were snake safe…and I deliberated if I could just grab the snake by the head..shivered at the thought and encouraged Pippi towards her task. She sauntered to the shed…turned upon arrival and yelled, “What is an AXE?”

UGH!

“Something to cut down trees.”  She disappeared into the shed, walked around the outside of the shed.I reminded her the axe was INSIDE..she shrugged her shoulders and returned to the dark abyss..a few minutes later she peeked out of the shed dragging our yellow handled axe, “Is this it?”

“YES” I exhaled.

Pippi, picked it up triumphantly as I praised her searching skills…like Paul Bunyan….and began to walk towards the house…

“PIP!

PI!

STOP!

Please drag the axe behind you!”

she arrived at my side and watched as I then chopped the head off the massive beast.

I changed batteries in the camera and returned to find Pippi holding the dead snake…

I shrieked and she dropped in on the porch…then I thought, “Why not” so she picked it up

and played with it dancing and singing about how she helped Mommy kill the big snake…. until she noticed blood dripping from it then the fun was over.

For a few days…

I found this guy two inches from my foot while staining the playset…I sat a log on him while I finished my section…I was MAD…and kept thinking the silly thing would slither out from underneath me..but I was determined to not change my plans for a snake…Pippi came outside to watch me…I even let her find the axe for me…my little pioneer girl!

Friday morning I looked out my window and saw this…

AT 6:30 AM!

The girls and I carefully navigated all the construction equipment and managed to arrive in time for Pippi’s Mother’s Day Program…

"PIPPI THE PURPLE FLOWER PRINCESS"

The Farm showed up to the program minus Papa..I wondered where he was…

After the program Boss Man needed help moving the planter….Fi and rushed through the grocery to grab a loaf of bread…rushed to the feedlot….and came upon this scene…

I wasn’t certain what was going on but I am the “Woman With Camera.”  I jumped out and took several pictures..mostly on the visiting Pastor’s camera.

The Cowboys arrived after the group photos in time to give their first riding lesson to a Pastor from Uganda!

We should provide a pair of cowboy boots for Dauson's next visit.

That was the first four hours of my Friday Morning…it was just the beginning of my wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend….with my heart aching for two dear families who were laying their moms to rest…

I hosted Bible Study Tuesday….

I really, really tried to not serve donuts…

So, I served …

“STRAWBERRIES”

May Day is  always May 1st.

In our home that means today is May Day Basket Creation Day!

Pippi is holding one of my favorite treats…peanut butter cradled between nilla wafers…mmmm….I recommend freezing extra at this step..

We enclose the ‘baskets’ for safe transportation in our windy, sandy, and bumpy conditions.

Inside this pot is plastic wrapped lined foam topped with M&M’s because nobody likes to eat gritty-foam-covered-chocolate and presentation is everything as you can see by the peanut butter smeared pot ….this may be the year that we actually decorate those pots!

One year we tried white candy coloring, regular chocolate, and actual cookies…nilla wafers were more stable for little hands…though it  is fun to use mini wafers and regular.  We played around with mini m&m’s but hey were too tiny for fine motor developing fingers.

Asking a toddler to deliver candy to others is teasing..and teased toddler cry..and crying makes a family tradition taxing…thus the two year old smearing candy coating and greasy peanut butter  enjoying the fruits of her labor.

One last tip…we always leave a card in the pot with a blessing and our names…people do not eat treats randomly left on their doorsteps for some reason…and a few will choose not to eat our edible flowers created by toddler fingers….hmmm?

I always think that I will take step by step pictures but it has not happened in four years so I will just give you the very simple steps before the girls and I start creating.

1.Spread smooth peanut butter on the flat side of wafer. Top with a popsicle stick and another wafer. Place on wax paper lined baking sheet. Freeze for seven minutes.

2. Microwave candy coating. Stir until smooth.

3. Dip frozen cookie pops into chocolate. Return to baking sheet.

4. Decorate with M&M’s.

5. Insert floral foam (or styrofoam) into flower pots. Top off pot with extra M&M’s. Insert Cookie Flower Pop.

Ready to deliver….Place ‘basket’ on doorstep.Ring the doorbell. RUN!  If you caught they can give you a kiss.. We drive to all our destinations so we usually just wait for surprised smiles and giggles !

Happy May Day!

May be we will post an update with step by step pics later today.

South of Hays, Kansas….nestled in rolling limestone hills is a spa retreat unlike any other that I have discovered in my travels….a stone barn with an Old World ambiance…my annual day at Rock Haven Spaaahhhh…..

This, my third trek up the steep dirt road, brought back memories….Last year’s drive home in an ice storm nine months pregnant and the scorpion that visited me in the sauna…(and yes I still wanted to return..though I did try hard to stare through the steam), My first visit  two years ago having just weaned my nearly two year old

Last week’s warm…sunny…windy days were replaced this week with damp, drizzly coolness and I was reminded with my flip-flopped step out of the truck that I do not like cold water…I expected as much since I had already arrived late due to the poorly announced bridge maintence South of Ellinwood…..and lacking a few necessities but I was not about to let anything dampen my spirit.

So with a carefree laugh, I splashed forward with my camera to capture the stunning Greeter dressed to impress

and after a few ooh’s and ahh’s from my friend who forced me to take a day for myself we followed the wonderful signature aroma of Rock Haven and stepped through a time warp aka wonderful wood crafted door..

I like the tiny statue holding the door open to all of us who do not know the secret password to enter the world that is Rock Haven….

after disclosing that I have sensitive skin, am not pregnant and signing some paper that I did not read..probably they saw me stumble into the only puddle in the driveway and wanted a hold harmless aggreement if I tripped over my robe while walking into the steam shower…which I did not…We were shown to our changing rooms…fully equipped with pampering products to refresh before you return to the ‘real world’  and I made a mental note to NOT spray my hair with aerosol deodorant…which I did for several minutes on my first visit two yeras ago in an effort to preserve the fabulous volume created from the steam and sauna….only to have perfectly powdered scented sweat proof hair!  oh the giggles that memory evokes…check no  deodorant hair this time…then I was forced to humble myself again.

When you make a reservation they remind you to bring a swim suit..yeah yeah.

Then they call you the week of your treatemnts and remind you to bring a swimsuit…of course.

Then your spa buddy reminds you to pack your swimming suit the night before at 9:30pm…and you begin a frantic search through the swim bags, intimate, drawers, girl’s dressup tote…only to be shushed by your four year old who you awakened and  offred her swim suit…then have the offere rescincded because you might stretch it out..then wiegh the options of drivng the one hour round ttrip to walmart for a late night swim suit desparation…exhausted you make a mental note and sticky note to buy a swim suit on the way to to the spa…and find a box of tampons because your first menstraule cycle in two years has decided to start…then you sleep…more like catnap in between night wakings of two little girls and night feedings and decide to sleep on the way to Hays and the way back and during the treatments…your friend who you have not spent time with in  a year will understand..yeah right.

Needless to say I was running late the bridge was out and I decided to spa with out a swim suit…I was going to wear a robe….so I drew a deep breath of the aromatic spa-ness and confessed my spa sin…

I forgot my swim suit….to which the hostes replied we have a bag of extras you can choose from because or please were a cover up if non of those work for you…we can not have you without since we have couples coiming through this area…..but back in your rooms you can wear what you want

I was mortified certainly she did not think I would strut about the place bare-bottomed with my tampon string hanging out… I quickly replied that I was going to wear a robe but would gladly try one of the suits…after teasing that I would wear the men’s swim trunks and tuck in my breastfeeding shaped breasts….I found a perfect fit and the spa day began…

…….tomorrow I will persuade you to journey to Hays, Kansas to experience Rock Haven Spa

I am told that my girls will grow up fast…

reminded by reminiscent Grandmothers to enjoy this precious season of life for it will pass too soon…

and I nod my head…
smile with sleep weary eyes..and try to understand how I can capture the essence of the moment while focusing on the big picture and not getting caught up in the “small things.”

I see a beautiful flowering quince bush and take the time to guide my hand through the thorny growth to cut the exact branch I want to grace my mantel…I step back and observe the bush from another angle and find a branch for my table… am arm deep in thorns I realize I cut the wrong branch…should I leave it to dry up and wither or do I find a purpose for it in my home…I am scratched and poked…I remember the pain of new growth is often shrouding a beautiful moment and many times the seemingly miscalculated move is a step in the right direction…….I return to my daughters inside the dry house calling for me to come in from the rain…and share the beautiful arm load of spring dripping drink from each thorn..
the branch found a home on my sink window ledge.