Momma rescuing the chickens

Momma rescuing the chickens, originally uploaded by Hardy Homestead.

More Photos of the storm on our Flickr page!

A storm flooded the backyard in just a few minutes last night. Electricity went out throughout the neighborhood. Luckily we never lost power. But the wind blew open the chicken coop. Jenny ran out to shut it and lost her sandals in the flood. If you look closely you can see one of her sandals submerged in the water.

The kids and I were all excited for the rain. Jenny didn't think twice about running out to shut the lid on the coop. She didn't take the umbrella fearing that it would just blow away in the storm. The neighbor kids were all out front playing in the rain until it was just too fierce to bear. It was all quite exciting and a welcome relief from the infamous Arizona heat. - Pa

Jacob's Sunday Dance

This is so funny, I have to make myself think really hard how it was done without laughing out loud!

On Sunday we were sitting in sacrament meeting.  For the first hymn Jacob wanted down so bad. 

So, I went ahead and put him down.  (We, naturally, are sitting on the back row.)  Jacob starts to head for the front stopping occasionally, so he knows which way the music is coming from.  I went and picked him up by the time he got to the first row of the last section.  (If that makes sense.)

When the Sacrament hymn gets started he gets down to the floor and he is on hands and knees just doing spins, then he would lay down on his tummy with arms down to his side, and then he he would lay on his side propped up on one arm and one leg in the air.  He would hold the leg still for a minute and then shake it like the was moving to the music.  Then he would jump up to hands and knees again and start all over again.

I wanted to be reverent but he was so funny I couldn't stop laughing.  Even now it is so hard to write this, just thinking about how serious his face was and how focused he was to just dance that music away! - Ma

Children on the playset

Children on the playset, originally uploaded by Hardy Homestead.

Emma has David's chicken. David is pretending to be a chicken, and Abby is just having fun. - Pa

David Ready for an Adventure

David Ready for an Adventure, originally uploaded by Hardy Homestead.

"Okay mom, I'm ready to go"! David got dressed all by himself. Ma had announced that they were going to the store. David was brimming with joy and excitement for an adventure. Referring to his outfit, "That's when you're going to the jungle, and when you're going to the forest."

The list...

Goggles
Great Grandpa Tone's red english hat
Earth and sky stone necklace from Susan
Walkie Talkie
Backpack (wonder what he has in there?)

- Pa

David with his Walkie Talkie

080706_6600-3, originally uploaded by Hardy Homestead.

David loves to pretend, as do all the children. But one day he came out dressed with his swim goggles and his walkie talkie. Looked to me like a Kodak moment! Kids are great. - Pa

Jacob's crazy cowlick

080706_6588, originally uploaded by Hardy Homestead.

Ever since Jacob was a few months old he has had a patch of hair that was longer than the rest. It would stick straight up like Alfalfa! We even had a comment from a lady at the store that just thought he was the cutest thing! Jacob loved her and he was laughing right back at her!!
We have been trying to get a photo of him, because it only seems to stick up when it wants to. So finally he had just finished eating we cleaned him up and took his shirt off and there it was. Love his smile too. - Ma