The finished project....

,/n

Summer Feet

I can't say I miss this part of summer....

A project

Recently our church got a new sign.  We, of course, ended up with the old one.  And what do you do with an old church sign?  Use it for a project....it is the Kuykendall way. :)

 Our boys, big and small, miss working on things.  I miss working on things.  I think our two years in this rental have shown me there is true joy in the process of a project.  I would like to say that if the day ever comes that we have our own place again, I will love every minute of remodeling....we'll see.  :)

Stay tuned to see what the Kuykendall boys are up to now....

Oh Shaniko....

On Labor day we took a road trip to Grass Valley.   We had been wanting to visit our friend, Emily. She moved there to teach at the only grade school in the whole county. BJ excitedly planned our day. :)

We started off with a picnic in Madras.  BJ really wanted to take our boys to Fossil, Oregon,  and the boys really wanted to dig for fossils.  Unfortunately we ran out of time.  We were in the van a looong time as is. :)  The next stop on BJ's agenda was the ghost town, Shaniko.   

After many hours in the van, Shaniko was a welcome break.  The boys found this deserted town exciting!

The joys of little boys!

2 out of 4 boys acted out their role as a jailbird.  In fact, I think Justin refused to smile the whole time we were there. :)

Hanging with the locals.

We all enjoyed our icecream....and watching Johnny enjoy his icecream!

After Shaniko we made it to Emily's place in Grass Valley.  Talk about small town! It was neat to take a leisurely walk from her home to the school where she teaches. 

Long day, lots of driving, but fun to see new territory. :)

precious commodities

Look what we got at Costco? 

Two for One!

Fair time

Grandma Sally and Papa were very brave again this year and took our oldest four along with Reaghan to the state fair.  Our boys had such a great time last year and were thrilled to go again with their grandparents. 

This spot has become the official "waiting on guests" spot.  

Judson thought that if he wore the monkey he could go too.  Grandma Sally wasn't feeling that brave!  About the monkey- this is my first boy to strongly cosider buying a leash for.  Grandma Sally was in agreement and bought us one.  :)

Papa took some fun shots of the day. 

They all had so much fun, even Johnny who was the most tuckered out. 

After hearing all the exciting details there was my favorite part....4 bags of fair junk dumped out on our table to sort through. :) 

So thankful my boys will have these memories.

jesse and joshua

A Trip to Florence

A few weeks after my mom's surgeries we were able to take a trip to visit them.  What a treat to visit Florence when it wasn't raining.  Outside activities make for easier stays. :) 

The boys really liked Papa Ray's jeep.  They were thrilled to take a ride around the block.

The twins loved chasing around this remote control car....one of my grandpa's many retirement toys. :)  (BTW, I think my mom and Ray have the cleanest garage I have ever seen!!!)

This was a quick trip, staying only one night, but on our way out of town we let the boys play in the dunes.  So messy.....but so much fun. :)

Buzzell Family Picnic

On August 18th, we were invited to attend the Buzzell Family Picnic. This was a get together for homeschool families...a time of food, fellowship, and inspiration.  Their farm is located near Birkenfield, kinda in the middle of nowhere. We had quite the time getting there since our my gps led us astray. After traveling several miles down a steep logging road we began to question if this was really the best route.  Backtracking a little ways, and following the invitation directions, we made it there in time for lunch. :) 

We had a wonderful time visiting, but the highlight for us was hearing S.M. Davis speak.  We had heard him a few years before and own a couple of his DVDs.  He is a powerful man of God.  Very humble and yet speaks the truth.  

You can find his website here.

A few of our favorite and most helpful messages....

Freedom From the Spirit of Anger

Picture Proverbs

Hard Work: the Foundation of Character

Changing the Heart of a Rebel

Parenting with a Diligent Hand

God's Way to Deal with Your Wrong Emotions