Secret hideout

 We were chasing a hen out of the barn the other day and discovered something!

 One of our hens has found a way in the (usually) closed barn...and has been laying eggs in a nice quiet spot of hay...for 3 weeks!!!!

 Joe counted 23 eggs stashed in the hay!

Grandpa's lake

 Grandpa, we have found your ideal lake!  :) 
  We went to a friends' lakehouse on Saturday.  And the boys experienced all kinds of fun!  But the best part was how CLEAN and CLEAR the lake itself was.  You might be able to study the pictures below enough to recognize that one can see down into the clear water pretty far!

Jake was anxious about swimming b/c of what he couldn't see.  But we quickly explained that this water was as clear as bathwater...just dark because of its depth.  Fortunately, it didn't take long to convince him to jump in and enjoy it!
Our friends took the boys out a couple times in the boat to go tubing...in the float you can't fall out of! :)  They loved it!!!!!

Getting ready...

 

 And they are going!  Joe is giving a thumbs up...b/c he is having fun OR b/c he wants to go faster!!!

You can watch them here...

Then, a neighbor had some toys he shared...and the boys thoroughly enjoyed these!

Needless to say, the boys enjoyed the day...and wish they could go back today! :)

pigs, tractors, bmx, and a rodeo

 This is Joe pictured next to a small, fake pig.  However, we did stare for awhile at the massive 1000 lb pigs. 

Of course, we had to visit and test all the tractors...and note the pricing!

 We enjoyed some BMX tricks...of which, I (mom) frequently whispered to Joe, "Don't try that...ever!"  Here's a video of some of the tricks we watched.

And we finished the evening with some time at the rodeo. Quite an experience to take in...for many reasons! One highlight...the monkey cowboy on the dog's back (its "horse") as it tried to corral some goats! Humorous and amazing all in one...!