Enjoying Country Life with the Mini's...

This was Spring Break for all our grandmonsters.  We returned in time to have Hayden and Bailey bring their mother, Andie, over for Friday and Saturday of their Spring Break.

Friday we cleared the driveway and Bailey practiced riding her bike. Look at that grin of success!!

Saturday was just a gorgeous day weather wise.  Bailey wanted to draw a picture of the little dam at the entry to Eagle Bend. I left the house with her while Andie and Hayden finished something else they were working on. Later Hayden and Andie would go to the bridge to explore and Bailey and I would eventually join up with them. This was one of those days I had it confirmed in my mind and heart again why we moved to this spot in the country. See if you can understand as you view these pictures and this Blog entry.

First, Bailey and I headed to the entry of Eagle Bend. There is a little dam there and Bailey felt she needed to be there and then draw a picture of it.  I fitted her and Hayden with the little light back packs we got for our Israel trip so they could carry their own gear this time. Off Bailey and I walked down Eagle Bend Drive hand in hand enjoying a question and answer period.

Bailey found a nice place in the grass to sit and quickly draw a picture that satisified her artist need. Somehow in my mind I thought it would take longer. I'm thinking it may have taken three minutes.

My little bundle of energy was now ready to hike the bank of the Eagle Creek. What fun to find the Canadian Geese have returned. Two were floating on the creek honking at us at the tops of their lungs. Bailey started 'honking' back at them. Then she told me she could speak goose. She was asking them what they had for breakfast and they were saying mashed potatoes. This was followed by peals of laughter.

Bailey and I hiked all the way back to our home which is the last one on the creek side of Eagle Bend. Curiosity got the better of both of us when I saw something that appeared to be a huge dead beast at the far end of the extra lot we own. I needed to be sure some animal didn't float there and land during the last flooding of the creek. I actually think Bailey was excited about the prospect and I had to ask her not to run ahead of me just in case it was something we needed to be careful about. As we neared it Bailey determined it looked like a dead elephant. I had to agree. As we got close enough we could tell it was only a big limb from a tree that washed up and had leaves all around it. Thank heavens no dead elephants!!  It sure made a good place for a little girl to climb.

For all her energy, Bailey does have some quiet thoughtful moments. Here are a couple.

Nature unfolded some of her secrets to Bailey. There was the mother Canadian Goose sitting on a down filled nest. Again, she was so still we thought she might be dead. But a little twitch told us to hike up the hill away from her so she wouldn't feel threaten as she covered her eggs.

Then there was the moss on a tree. I explained to Bailey how Papa taught me in Louisiana that moss there grows on the north side of the tree. If you were lost, you would know you were traveling north by looking at the moss on the trees.

We would walk farther down Eagle Creek until suddenly Bailey stops, looks back at me and says, "I want to see my mommy and Hayden." I think we had made it as far into the woods as she wanted to go unless mommy was with her. We turned around and I called Andie on my cell phone. She and Hayden had made it part way up the creek toward our home. I told her we were walking back and would meet them. When we met up, both kids wanted to go back and play in the water by the entry to Eagle Bend. The water was a a very low level and safe to play in and the weather was cooperating by being warm and sunny enough.

Bailey and I met up with Andie and Hayden and off we went to the bridge into Eagle Bend. There is a place on the side without the dam where the water goes around some soil that forms a tiny island. The kids loved to make their way across the slippery rocks and play on the island. At least that is where they usually play. Saturday they would venture just a bit further.

First, playing from shore to the little island.

Well, our little dears have explored that little island as much as they wanted. They have tested their skills walking on moss covered rocks with water flowing over them. They were now wet and eager to strike out to new bits of land they have never explored.

And before you know it they were back at the creek again. Our intreped band of pioneer kids and mom.

Once they were sure they were wet and cold and tired enough, we headed for home and warm clothes, hot chocolate and a good movie. When they got to the porch Andie had them take off their wet shoes and socks before going inside. They quickly figured out their feet in wet socks made great foot prints on the concrete and they enjoyed a bit of time making pictures with their wet sock feet. Then we headed inside.

After everyone was had their hot chocolate and some lunch and were curled up in front of a movie, my next door neighbor called. It seems the man cutting the wild grass off the top of the hill hit the water main with his blades and broke it. We had our old Old Faithful here in Sadieville for a while.

Later it was craft time. Andie brought some metal paper-like material and she and Hayden did some drawing on it. Hayden made the Titanic.

Claude pulled out his wooden replica of a Jeep with trailer and 4-wheeler. He and Hayden would put it together. Hayden truly loved working with the electric screwdriver.

Now, can you tell why it felt so good again in my mind and my heart that we were blessed to find this lovely place in the country to live for our retirement? What a wonderful place to build memories to last a lifetime. Thanks Andie, Hayden and Bailey for sharing a few days with us and helping make those memories with me.