One Man's Trash

While traveling on Highway 334 today I couldn't help but notice a perfectly good air conditioner box on the side of the road. Why someone would just throw it out I will never understand. Surprisingly though, I was able to convince Bryan that we should go back and get it. We pulled over and quickly shoved the box into the back of our car while Bryan hummed the theme from 'Sanford and Son'. Then, we sped away before any of our friends happened by and noticed us picking up trash off of the side of the road. We brought it in and declared that it was Christmas in August while Bryan cut a door and two windows.
Lilly immediately made it feel like home by filling it with toys from her room.
Jack was pretty excited about the box too and mostly enjoys crawling out...

...and in the door.

This blog was brought to you by Lennox...and whoever got a new air conditioner near RL Turner on 334. Thanks.

The Fair

Well, I talked Bryan into going to the State Fair again this year. Every year it gets a little easier. This year after a very busy and stressful week, he agreed to come home a little early on Monday, the night of the free rodeo (the only free thing at the fair). Then, his work scheduled changed, he got home later than he expected, Lilly had a runny nose, Jack wouldn't take a nap, and the rodeo had been canceled. But, we stopped for gas, took out a second mortgage to pay for the fair and headed towards the fairgrounds. On the 30 minute drive from our house to the fair Bryan's phone rang about 50 times and he couldn't answer it because Jack screamed the whole way and Lilly asked a million questions about where we were planning to park our car. This was going to be a fun evening. At least it was probably the first time in history that the Indiana State Fair didn't fall on the hottest day of the year.

Besides the nice weather, that included a breeze (very rare for the fair), it wasn't very crowded and there weren't any lines.
Of course we began the evening with Lilly riding a pony.

Then, we did 'Little Hands on the Farm' and Lilly received another Pioneer Seed Company hat. I took the last one, Jack wanted this one. Please get a good look, this is the only picture of poor Jack that I took all night.

Next, we stopped by the petting zoo. Jack was quite taken with a goat and Lilly fed this baby cow some grain. She also fed a piglet. The piglet snuffed and snorted, tickling her hand for a few minutes and ate maybe two pieces of grain. The cow on the other hand only touched her for a millisecond and inhaled all of her grain before turning away without a second look.

And, the giant slide again. Only, this year the look on Lilly's face is more joy and less terror.

While I fed Jack and finished my own dinner Bryan took Lilly on the tractor train that circles the entire fairgrounds. As Lilly is the only person in the world who doesn't eat at the fair, dinner time was a perfect time for this ride. I waited and waited to get a picture of them when they came back around and this is how I found them. Lilly was not asleep, but if the train had continued on for another five feet or so she would have been.

Finally, Lilly sat on a pig and we all went home.

Lilly, Lilly Quite Contrary

At the end of last summer Lilly showed a little bit of interest in my dad's garden. By spring of this year she had her own. Papaw spent his winter months working on a picket fence complete with a gate so that Lilly could have her very own garden. Then, Papaw and Lilly went shopping so she could pick out exactly what she wanted to plant. She chose flowers, peas, flowers, corn, flowers, carrots, and more flowers.
When my dad asked me what I thought Lilly might want to plant I told him that she would probably like to grow some corn. To which he replied, "I'm not messing with corn.". Well, I was right, Lilly wanted corn. They planted two rows.
The gardeners headed up to the house to get their watering cans after planting their seeds.
Watering the seeds. This was the last time that Lilly actually did any work in "her" garden.
The gate was pretty much Lilly's favorite part of the garden at this point.
Things are starting to sprout.
Still interested in the gate, though.
The best way to get to and from the garden. What good is a garden if you can't show it off to your friends? The first pea harvest. Lilly and Papaw ate most of the peas, raw, while standing in the garden.
The first ear of corn.
Scare crow. Mostly he looks friendly, though.
Lilly and Papaw in front of the garden with every thing in bloom.
Lilly's favorite part of the garden was picking her flowers. And, when she ran out of flowers in her own garden, Papaw was happy to share the ones from his.

Thanks for the garden Papaw. I had a great time in it this summer!

Stand and Deliver

What more can I say? Jack is standing, and clearly he's pretty proud of himself.

...and some times kind of annoyed that I'm taking pictures.

...but, mostly he's just happy that he's found another way to potentially hurt himself on the brick hearth.