Company Bearing Gifts

How wonderful to be back in church. Funny how welcoming it is when one has been gone a week. After church we had a couple from Galesburg coming to see the boys. They want to breed at least 2 of their mares this year and wanted to check out what we had. Steven had both boys in stalls when we arrived home. Evan stuck his head out the window and started calling to Ella who promptly showed us she was in season. Mike & Diane were over and helped Evan get her covered. When the company came they were taken into the stall barn where the first words out of their mouths were, "they are HUGE! They must be 18 hands tall." We took them into the stall to show them, no they aren't that tall, they just look tall Valiant is not yet full grown and 16 hands, Evan just a bit shorter. The weather was threatening but not yet raining so Steven Marchal took the boys to the outdoor arena and turned loose for some free time. That was something else that really impressed them. Both boys really have the moves. They were having a tough time picking which one they would use, thinking they probably should use both of them when they were asked if they would like to see Raven. That's all it took, one look and they both fell in love. When they were ready to leave it was, "we have to have a Raven baby!" What will we ever do when his bad leg gives out?
By the time they left the kids started to arrive. Rhoda, Sarah, David, Stephanie, Phil, Anna and Braelyn all showed up to help celebrate a birthday for an old 57 year old lady and they came bearing gifts. Ben and Taunya couldn't make it, Jack is still sick. But all of them went in on one big gift. I am now the owner of a brand new Kindle. Philip took some time downloading books on it and now how any work is ever going to get done in this place is the question. The thing holds like thousands of books. Sarah also picked out some new shirts. After dinner Rhoda got Ella out for Braelyn.


Rhoda put Ella away and we all walked down to look at the progress on the house. Braelyn discovered some dandelions in the yard. Anna had to show her how to blow off the fluff.



She is so smart. Amy Koch showed up driving all the way from Tremont, IL with 2 gifts. A beautiful live flower arrangement that will hang by our door and best of all a coffee maker that doesn't need a carafe. Rhoda has the exact same one and loves it. She got it all ready for us, we will have coffee waiting tomorrow morning by 5:15am. Almost makes me want to go to bed now.
The rain started coming down hard so the dogs were let in. Braelyn loves playing with Darcy's collar. While she was touching all the little knobs on the collar she noticed Darcy panting and tried to imitate her.


I'd say she does pretty well at the imitations.
The rain is really coming down and we are thrilled. The fields are needing a good drink and this downpour will help fill the pond.