Memorial Day Hoop-Lah!

We spent Memorial Day weekend at my parents' house with my brother and his family. We had a grand time! The day of the Texans' arrival was Emerie's 7th birthday, so we had a spaghetti dinner and teddy bear cake in honor of her. (In fact, you can see remnants of dinner on the corners of Corwin's mouth.)

The next day we spent at my grandparents' house visiting with them. We thoroughly enjoyed their company, and I'm sure they were thrilled when we left and took our kids home. Peace had finally been restored to their home. :)

The next morning we picked gooseberries for a gooseberry pie. If you've never had a gooseberry pie, you are definitely missing out on something extraordinary. Mmmmm.... The kids didn't last long at the harvest. They quickly found out that the gooseberry bush has thorns, and didn't care for the poking.

Owen enjoyed his share of gooseberries fresh from the bush. F.Y.I. Fresh, green gooseberries are extremely sour. That didn't phase my little eater.

Later that morning we went to my Grandpa's hometown and toured his old stomping grounds. We also visited the grave sites of several of our family members that are buried there. It was a very pleasant trip.

That evening, Cousin Silas and Cousin Wesley came over for a cookout. We enjoyed hamburgers...

...Gator rides...

...little Gator rides...

...Silas brought over his 4-wheeler...
(that's Corwin inside that big helmet)

...and fireworks. (I know. You can't see, but they're each getting their share of Snap Dragons right here.) We had bottle rockets, smoke bombs, and lots of fountains that we shot off.

That night, Silas stayed the night, and we all got up and went to church Sunday morning.

After church, we went to Table Rock Lake where Aunt Pam and Uncle Gary were camped. The kids got in the COLD water and swam for an hour or two.

The swim/picnic area was flooded because of the recent rains, but that made it even more fun!

Then we went back to the camp site and enjoyed the amazing weather, good conversation, grilled hot dogs, and fire-roasted s'mores. Good times!

It all ended too quickly, because the E-Team had to go home Monday morning. But, it was a great weekend, and Corwin and Owen are already missing their cousins. 'Til next time!

First Baseball Game

Corwin had his first baseball game Tuesday evening. He plays for the "Sandlot Sluggers". He was very excited for this first game!

So was Owen! (Even though he didn't watch a single minute of it.)

Corwin did well and hit the ball every time he went up to bat.

And, he got to play catcher during the second inning. He was so excited about that!

However, the catcher's equipment was 10 sizes too big for him.

Here's a video of everything he did in the game. It's a little lengthy--about 10 minutes--but it shows every minute he was in the game.

They won 14-9, by the way. They don't technically keep score, but Jason does. :)

Everyday Drama

Jason had the video camera out the other day, capturing a typical Morris Brother encounter. I will warn you, there is some tension, but actually very mild compared to most situations.

P.S. This is actually the editted version. It went on for awhile, but I didn't figure y'all would want to sit and watch my boys bicker for 5 minutes.

A New Ride

Since Corwin got a new, bigger bike for Christmas, Owen has been handed-down Corwin's older, smaller bike. Jason finally put training wheels on it the other day, and this was his first attempt at riding. He's used to his tricycle, which he can peddle forward and backward. So, this is kinda hard for him.

A Song For You

Owen had taken up singing concerts for us in the evenings. This small snippet of song is from one of his favorites "McDonald's". The longer version includes a verse about cheeseburgers and a verse about french fries. What you hear here, is a small section of the chorus. :)

SLIME Time!

I went to a Just Between Friends sale the other day (on half price day) and picked the boys up a few t-shirts and shorts for summer. I also picked up ... SLIME SCIENCE. It is a box of ingredients and recipes to make SLIME. I knew the boys would love it!

The first slime we attempted was a flop. I think it might be an old box of ingredients, so things didn't mesh like they should've. Our second attempt was successful, and the boys has a ball with it! It was a rubbery, shiney, stretchy slime that would "pool" if you'd let it sit. They loved their slime. We'll do it again soon.

Not a bad buy for $2!

Montauk State Park

Thursday the Morris Four went to Montauk State Park. It is the home of a large spring that feeds the Current River in Missouri, and also a large trout hatchery. It was a gorgeous day to be out and about!

First stop was the trout hatchery. Well, actually, first was a picnic lunch, but there are no pictures of us stuffing our faces. SECOND was the trout hatchery. These large pools house thousands of baby trout.

It was funny, because the fish would follow us. We walked along these long, narrow pools and noticed how the fish would follow. We though it quite odd until we saw the fish feed dispensers. Duh. They thought we were going to feed them. No wonder they were following us.

When you'd toss the food into the pool, the trout would attack it! This often caused the fish to churn and splash. This terrified Owen. He didn't like those fish coming out of the water and causing a rukus! It took him a few throws to get used to the idea of these "wild" animals.

This isn't a good picture because of the reflection of sunlight, but these trout would literally swim on top of each other hoping for a bite of yummy fish food.

I was a little afraid that Corwin was going to go swimming with the trout. He'd get down close to see them better.

Then, we took a short hike through the woods to find the spring of the Current River.

Corwin insists that we read every sign posted!

Owen was more interested in the rocks and dirt.

Then we ended up at a playground. The boys had fun climbing, swinging, and sliding. Hard work for short-legged Owen.

It was a good day. A very good day. Making memories and learning... can't get batter than that!

A Picture-Free Perfect Weekend

I'm ashamed of myself. We went and spent the entire weekend with my family, and I haven't ONE stinkin' picture to share with y'all! I'm quite upset with myself. Oh, well. Use you're imaginations....

We spent Friday at a wonderfully wonderful place called Silver Dollar City. It was World Fest and we got to see dancers, drummers, and stilt dancers from Trinidad. We also saw a Russian comedy circus, which was SO funny! That was right up Corwin's alley. And, a Russian jazz band. There were several acts from all over the globe, but these were the only ones I thought my boys might sit through. Corwin rode roller coasters, and we walked the entire park several times over. Plenty of exercise that day!

Saturday mom and I went to a ladies' tea, at which I "spoke". Needless to say, I'm glad that's over. Then that afternoon was spent at Mom and Dad's house visiting with my grandparents and watching the boys play, play, play! Sunday was church with the parents and my Grandpa's 85th birthday lunch. That evening we went back to Mom and Dad's and helped Dad plant his garden. Jason and the boys really enjoyed that, I think.

Monday I went into Springfield and hit "Other Mothers", a children's' resale shop. They also carry used maternity clothes. I got several items of which I am very pleased. Then the Morris Four headed home. It was a good weekend, but I'm glad to be home.

We have enjoyed some unique times since Jason has been home. I believe God is blessing us during this strange and difficult time. We're making memories that will last a lifetime. We plan on doing some other fun stuff in the near future. Maybe the zoo, camping, etc .