summer breeze

After a couple sweltering days the weather returned to the beautiful, cool and breezy stuff we've been enjoying all spring long. Is this really Missouri? I'm loving the fact that it is almost the 4th of July and still feels like early May. 

It is the perfect weather for leaving all the windows open (AC off!) to enjoy the cool breeze blowing open the curtains, carrying in the sounds of birds and lowing cattle. It is also the perfect weather for playing with the horses.

On a side note: Though I'm sure I will still be publishing a lot of horse related posts on this blog, I am slowly starting to move more towards posting the majority of our horse & ranch related items on our Cross D Facebook Page. The hope is that those of you who are interested in following our equine activities can "like" us on Facebook and follow those updates there, saving this blog for more family related posts. So make sure you check out the link and click the "like" button if you would like to see all the cute horse & kid pictures! You can also always check out the Cross D website as well, though it's not updated quite as often.

This past weekend we were fortunate enough to just stay home and soak up the beautiful weather from the comfort of our own yard. Clay built a little coop for all the new guineas that are still (slowly but surely) hatching out of our huge collection of eggs in the incubator. The kids played in the yard and caught butterflies, and I played with the kids and the horses.

Clay took a turn riding around with the kids too. Watching them makes me happy.

My cup overflows....

Susannah rode Fritz for the first time. I know....she's already 7 months and this is just her first ride, I'm way behind....

She thinks Fritz is pretty funny.

It was a productive week in the horse training department too. Samson is learning to bend, flex at the poll and canter smoothly on the lunge line and under saddle. He's progressing in leaps and bounds. Fritz is becoming an old hand in the arena and even let Margaret ride him by herself while throwing balls into buckets.

He also worked on his jumping skills. He is little but mighty. This boy can really get some air.

And look who else is becoming my fun little jumping pony:

 

I'm remembering how much fun jumping is - and Chico's quickly becoming a great jumping buddy!

Fritz also took Margaret for her first ride in the fields while being ponied. Life is good when I get to ride in the fields with my little girl.

Notice that cow in the above picture? That's our new milk cow. 

That's right. We've added a sweet little Jersey cow named Buttercup to the family. She used to reside in the field across from our house with a bunch of Holsteins, but now she's moved on to bigger and better things and joined the Cross D enterprise. Every time I see her I can't help but start singing (in Three Amigos style) My little Buttercup has the sweetest cream.....Dear little Buttercup, you're just such a dream....

Margaret is super excited to start milking her every morning with Grandma. This time next year we'll hopefully be getting lots of delicious fresh milk & cream.

I don't know how long this dream weather will continue, but I'm trying to soak up every minute while it lasts. How better to enjoy it than with the family on the farm?