call your friend with a pond and invite yourself over.
that’s what we did.
she hooked us up!
lifejackets and toys and she got the boys out on the kayaks.
they were so good at it.
they focused all their muscles to keep balanced.
it was a great way to wear them out.
she is a fish.
and can easily keep up with her brothers any day.
i thought she’d want to play in the sand…
no.
it was too hot and everyone else was swimming so we were swimming too.
from one dock to the other…over and over.
i made sure my swimteam skills were still there (3rd place every time)
and beat all 3 big kids to the dock.
a proud moment.
lauren didn’t come because…she’s 13.
she thought about it (which surprised me)
but the having house to herself all afternoon was too good to pass up.
there was even a snack for last minute guests!
you really can’t ask for more.
juice boxes and animal crackers after hard play in the sun…so good.
and to make the day more perfect….
they had a new puppy.
brand new.
Max the puppy.
a birthday gift and a hunting dog of some sort.
we loved him.
our friend offered me tomatoes.
then my kids showed just how “city” they are.
one of them said “OHHH…can i hold one? i’ve never held a tomato before!”
(i thought “yes you have…remember…at wal-mart?”)
and one said “wow look at this HUGE cucumber!!”
it was a zucchini.
“where did you get these?”
she answered “in my garden.”
they each looked very confused.
seriously.
so she took them to the garden and they each picked a grape tomato.
AND ATE IT.
and thankfully none of them liked them.
i would have felt like such a bad mom if they all loved them
and i had deprived them all this time.
so we brought home a bunch of fresh tomatoes
i said “should we try to make spaghetti sauce?”
the kids said “you can MAKE sauce? i thought it just came in a jar!”
oh my.
(yes that is a barbie in the photo…don’t you have ballet barbies in your car?)
and then there was this on the drive home….
kansas rocks.
i was full of gratitude.
i kept thinking “i’m so happy we live here”
i drove half way home on a gravel road and i couldn’t stop smiling.
we got home so late craig was home from work and he was cooking dinner.
oh yeah…it was a good day.
thanks again carolyn!
kristin at prairie daze - i love this.
a great welcome home to the prairie here.
and wow, that lake is great.
PamperingBeki - I *almost* called you the other day to see if you wanted to go to the lake. Did you know we have a lake nearby? ‘Tis true.
Thank you for reminding me that Kansas rocks. I forget that easily.
emily - Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, thank you for the sunflower photos. I love them so. What a lucky treat, I would go back there again and again for pictures.
Jen - That day is what SUMMER is all about, and the gorgeous sunflower field was the icing on the cake!
Lanny Stanard - Okay, all I can say is WOW! did you say 100 degrees! That’s not for me! looks like you had a fill day, love the picture of the clouds, I love clouds… Have a great week~end. Lanny:)
Lee Ann - 33 comments already? You must be famous!!! 🙂
Great photos. I love the feelin’ of smiling just because I’m so grateful for life.
Jimaie - what a FANTASTIC day!
*sigh* i’m just so jealous. the swimming, the tomatoes, the gorgeous flowers, Fabulous!!
your pictures make me happy 🙂
Shannan Martin - I just found your blog today through “The Inspired Room”. I am a work-from-home mom and my 2 little ones are with Papaw and Gram today, so I have lots and lots of time to get some work done…but, I just spent over an hour reading your blog and I’m only to January. Thank you for sharing all of this with “us”. Your bathroom is amazing and your family makes me want to hurry up and add to our brood, like we keep discussing. If I lived in Kansas I would probably try to hunt you down. But, I live in Indiana, so you are safe. 🙂
Amy Walker - What a great day for you and the kids! Your kids are all so cute and also very lucky to have you as their Mom:) Your pictures are awesome as usual, I’m so jealous of your skills!
robin bird - 2 great days in a row!! you are lucky, and a person who is grateful for what you have.
but i tell you cannot believe you saw and was able to photograph (so well) that field of sunflowers!! i didn’t think that happened in real life… sort of with your kids and those vegetable. i thought that sunflowers were posed for photos.. you know plastic soldiers all lined up and poked in the ground so the famous photographers can get great shots. but look at you! wow, impressive!dang maybe you were in OZ yesterday ‘ya think?
Jenn - Can I come to Carolyn’s house next time you go? Maybe she would let me stay in the “bunk house” for a few days to get away. Love the sunflower pictures.
christine - what a perfect day!
Keri - What a great day! Don’t you love it when a plan comes together!! =)
amy j - I’m changing my name on here to amy j so that people I/we know don’t think that I’m the amy that almost peed her pants looking at your sunflowers. 🙂
mom - What a fun day at Carolyn’s! I knew those boys would love the kayaks. The sunflower pictures are lushish! I used one for our Sunday worship service powerpoint. Thanks.
Kelley - that’s it. i’m movin’ to kansas.
Shana - Look at those kids…so happy with a puppy. They should get one and name it “Waffle”! Wouldn’t that be cute?
Hmmm….now where could you find one?
Peggy Rice - Pure happiness. I like the one tall sunflower in the middle of the field. Barbie in the car made me smile…before the metro and bus were my mode of transportation my car was full of them!
Aby - GREAT pictures! Those tomatoes look sooooo good! There’s nothing quite like home-grown tomatoes… sliced up with a little salt and pepper.. YUM!!! I love your blog! You seem like such a great mom!!
Nikki - Hey! I have been following your blog for a few weeks now and this is the first time I saw Kansas mentioned! I was just telling my husband the other day that we NEEDED to find another sunflower field to take pictures in. Soooo…..since I too live in Kansas can you share the location of that BEAUTIFUL field?? I am sure it is probably NOWHERE near my home, but just in case!!! LOL!!
amy - meg,
your last two posts have been pure eye candy for me! and those sunflowers…i almost peed my pants they made me so happy. lucky you. thanks for sharing!
amy
amy - meg,
your last two posts have been pure eye candy for me! and those sunflowers…i almost peed my pants they made me so happy. lucky you. thanks for sharing!
amy
Beth - I LOVE your blog and I am so envious of your amazing picture taking skills. I stumbled upon your site via “Mabel’s House” and I have stopped by faithfully ever since. Your blog makes me happy! : )
Suzanne - Even in a 100 degrees, your photos are still soooo COOL!
Come by…I have a surprise waiting for you!
traci - what a wonderful day meg. i just love how you take pictures – such great perspective. i feel like i was right there with all of you. great sunflowers – beautiful!!! we have some planted across the street, i need to walk over there through the corn and see if they look like that.
cynthia - oh meg! those sunflowers are so beautiful! what i would give to see that along the side of the road! not here in atlanta though, or nowhere near that i know of!
amanda - What great pictures – they made me smile. Thank you!
lorel - what an awesome day in every way!
Jess - wow!!! I don’t think I have ever seem anything so beautiful as a field of sunflowers!!!! Every year I try to grow them…and no such luck…this year a rabbit got them when they were 2 inches high…my kids were devastated! Thank you for such amazing pictures!!! Stay cool!!! -jess
Nancy - Love the sunflower photos. The fields of them along I-70 on the way to Denver are my favorite ‘sites’ when we travel to CO in the summer. And, I must say that Kansas (the state, not the hawks) does rock.
Ashley Kleiber - I’m sure Max LOVED the attention! He is sure a lovable puppy. I love the pictures of the sunflowers. I drive by that field almost everyday and think about stopping to take some pictures.
Bethany - Oh how I miss Kansas! People think I am crazy, but when you live there your ENTIRE life, it is home. And it definitely has a lot to love! Thanks for sharing part of your world!!
Lindy - yeah well Colorado rocks too!!!!
Geeze Meg, can I come stay with you for a week or so once I get my new camera so that you can teach me all your techniques? I LOVE your photography! Once I save my pennies for that new camera I’ll have to save for some classes as well to be up to snuff.
What a fun day and dinner on the table to top it off. Lucky you!
Lauren - Hi Megan. I just popped over to your blog from The Inspired Room and had to tell you that your photos just make me want to smile. I especially loved the sunflowers!
I will be adding your blog to my feed reader!
Julie - That’s a really big “pond”! What a fun day, yummy tomatoes, cute puppy, gorgeous sunflowers and happy kiddos. Paradise.
Leslie - I hope some of the fastastic things you did yesterday were on your list. Go cross them off! What a great day. Tomorrow I am taking the kids to tour the Blue Bell Ice Cream creamery. No photos allowed inside of course, bummer. But free ice cream at the end, yippee!
Stacey - Kansas does rock, only Nebraska rocks better. 😉 My sis lives in KS. Love the sunflower photos, gorgeous! Gosh, I wish I had a friend with a pond. Cool!
Julie K. - What a fabulous looking day. And those sunflowers! Oh my goodness – you would never ever see that here in chicago. I’m jealous. Though … I love the city … guess I’m just going to have to visit you someday! :o)
traci - Im so glad your glad you live in Kansas. I have family that live there and was just there about a month ago. Most look unimpressed when I say we are making a trip to Ks. but with your photos I think Ks. is very impressive!!! I remember just a month ago passing a VAST field with GORGEOUS sunflowers and taking a picture just like yours. Mine didnt turn out as good since mine isnt as great a camera BUT the point is Kansas is awesome!! I do wish you had made Lauren go….she would have smiled and loved it.